POLITICAL: NASA’s Hansen to Obama: Use Global Warming to Redistribute Wealth

Saturday, January 10, 2009

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/01/01/nasas-hansen-obama-use-global-warming-redistribute-wealth

NASA’s Hansen to Obama: Use Global Warming to Redistribute Wealth
By Noel Sheppard (Bio | Archive)
January 1, 2009 – 12:51 ET

*** begin quote ***

Climate realists around the world have contended for years that the real goal of alarmists such as Nobel Laureate Al Gore and his followers is to use the fear of man-made global warming to redistribute wealth.

On Monday, one of Gore’s leading scientific resources, Goddard Institute for Space Studies chief James Hansen, sent a letter to Barack and Michelle Obama specifically urging the president-elect to enact a tax on carbon emissions that would take money from higher-income Americans and distribute the proceeds to the less fortunate.

*** end quote ***

Incredible!

Why is this guy wasting his talents at NASA. He should be a socialist politician!

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MONEY: The value today of a future dollar

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Years @ 5.0%

1 $0.952381

2 $0.907029

3 $0.863838

4 $0.822702

5 $0.783526

6 $0.746215

7 $0.710681

8 $0.676839

9 $0.644609

10 $0.613913

11 $0.584679

12 $0.556837

13 $0.530321

14 $0.505068

15 $0.481017

16 $0.458112

17 $0.436297

18 $0.415521

19 $0.395734

20 $0.376889

21 $0.358942

22 $0.341850

23 $0.325571

24 $0.310068

25 $0.295303

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RANT: GOT SCREWED AT JOE’S; Not Recommended!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Got the promo email. Went in for my “free” appetizer. (Hey, I know it’s a scam, but we like the food.) Asked for it. Didn’t get it. Told to: “Check the fine print. You have to have the offer to get it.” See offer below. (Ignoring the crude way they did it.) You see any fine print? I don’t. Guess we won’t be back there. I’d urge you to avoid it as well. I filled out the web site comment (with the annoying music) and we’ll see. I’m not expecting much! Please help me boycott them! Nationwide. If you do go, (cause you have to), please give the manager a print of this blog post. Be interested to see just how much power the inet has?

JUST SAY “NO” … TO JOE!

*** begin quote ***

Hurry in this, this offer expires 1/20/2009.
*One free appetizer value up to $7.99 with the purchase of one adult entree. Valid for single visit by intended recipient only. Offer only valid at participating Joe's Crab Shack locations. No cash value. Offer valid 14 days from date sent.

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(609) 896-0360

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*** end quote ***

We know return you to the regularly schedule rantings and ravings.

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RANT: See where bailouts take you? To absurdity and beyond!

Friday, January 9, 2009

http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/stimulus/2009/01/08/why-a-tiny-alabama-town-wants-a-375-million-chunk-of-the-stimulus.html

Why a Tiny Alabama Town Wants a $375 Million Chunk of the Stimulus
By Amanda Ruggeri
Posted January 8, 2009

*** begin quote ***

At first glance, the town of Edwardsville, Ala., with a population of 194 people, might raise a few eyebrows with its bid to receive $375 million from the economic stimulus package being assembled by Barack Obama and lawmakers in Congress.

The tiny town, located near the Georgia border and 26 miles from the nearest “big city” of Anniston (population: 24,276), added 33 proposals—about two thirds of them related to “green” energy—to the list of “ready- to- go” projects assembled by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Total sum: $375,076,200.

*** end quote ***

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D95J4DV00&show_article=1

Obama warns of dire consequences without stimulus
Jan 8 01:29 PM US/Eastern
By JENNIFER LOVEN
AP White House Correspondent

*** begin quote ***

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) – President-elect Barack Obama warned of dire and long-lasting consequences if Congress doesn’t pump unprecedented dollars into the national economy, making an urgent pitch Thursday for his mammoth spending proposal in his first speech since the election.

{Extraneous Deleted}

Obama laid out goals of doubling the production of alternative energy over three years, updating most federal buildings to improve energy efficiency, making medical records electronic, expanding broadband networks and updating schools and universities.

*** end quote ***

www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2009/01/08/flynt_porn_bailout.html

*** begin quote ***

Jan 8, 2009 … In an announcement that launched a thousand unprintable puns, adult- entertainment moguls Larry Flynt and Joe Francis said Wednesday that …

*** end quote ***

There must be something in the air in the District of Corruption. The smell of the People’s money being available?

We really should thank Larry Flynt for pointing out the absurdity of the whole circus!

Have you contacted your congresscritter yet?

http://www.downsizedc.org/  

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NJ: in-state tuition at public colleges and “driving privilege cards” for illegal aliens

Friday, January 9, 2009

http://lonegan.com/Where_Steve_Stands.aspx  

*** begin quote ***

NO IN-STATE TUITION AND DRIVERS LICENSES FOR ILLEGALS!

Last night I was on Fox 5 News talking about a report from a Corzine-stacked panel of left-wing liberals endorsing in-state tuition at public colleges and “driving privilege cards” for illegal aliens.

I strongly oppose these ideas and have urged legislative Republicans to stand united against these proposals.

There’s no doubt that state spending is out of control and needs to be reduced, not increased as the in-state tuition proposal would do. And giving illegal aliens drivers licenses — regardless of the name, not only makes our state a magnet for illegal aliens who are a net drain on taxpayers, but also tells our children that the law is a joke.

One potential candidate against me in the primary has endorsed the Corzine Administration position that illegal aliens are “here to stay” and we should give them not just amnesty but the same rights as those who came here legally. I respectfully disagree. Strong enforcement actions in states like Arizona have completely turned around an out-of-control situation where illegal aliens were straining social service budgets and creating enormous burdens on the health care system.

As a society we must send a message that those who laugh at our laws will not be coddled any more. The politically correct liberal way has failed and New Jersey is the best example anywhere of that. While conservatives in Congress like Scott Garrett will be working to stop Illegal Alien Amnesty in the next two years, we can take steps right here in New Jersey to tell those here illegally to go somewhere else and that is to end government benefits to illegal aliens — not expand them.

It’s as simple as that.

*** end quote ***

Well, there are many problems in the whole area of immigration.

I don’t want to put a plastic garbage bag over the Statue of Liberty.

As a little L libertarian, I think there are so many issues with all that the gooferment does. Force creates problems.

Why is the gooferment involved in education and “licensing” driving in the first place?

Let’s take the in-state tuition issue. Why is the state gooferment involved in it at all? Spin them off to survive on their own. End of a political issue. And, a whole lot of bureaucrats are now out in the economy.

Let’s take the “licensing issue”. Why is the state gooferment involved in it at all? Insurance companies might care. We care (supposedly) that all cars are insured. (Ignores the fact that I’ve heard that ¼ of the cars on the road are uninsured.) So, let’s outsource DMV licensing (and registration) to the insurance companies.  End of a political issue. And, a whole lot of bureaucrats are now out in the economy.

Seems obvious to me!

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TECH PRODUCT: Kodak Frame gets an “NR” from a trusted blogger source

Friday, January 9, 2009

http://www.gadgetspage.com/misc/review-kodak-easy-share-wireless-picture-frame.html  

Review: Kodak Easy Share Wireless Picture Frame
from Gadgets Page by Matthew Strebe

*** begin quote ***

Kodak EasyShare W1020 10-Inch Wireless Digital Frame at Amazon.comI purchased the Kodak Easy Share Wireless Picture Frame with a specific purpose in mind: I wanted to immediately transfer motion sensor triggered photos from my Panasonic network camera at my front door onto a screen up stairs so we could see who was at the door before going downstairs to answer it.

{Extraneous Deleted}

Unfortunately, the love ended pretty early for this frame. Without fail, the wireless frame detached from my wifi-network after about two hours and stopped displaying anything, refusing to reconnect to the network until it was disconnected from power and restarted. It always reconnected immediately, which indicates that the problem is with the frame, not with the network (none of my other wireless devices have this problem). This problem makes it impossible for me to recommend this wireless frame until a firmware update that correctly addresses reconnecting to the network automatically is available.

*** end quote ***

This reminds me of the annoying “Continually Reconnect” to the home wifi network behavior that MCBA (Mac Book Air) exhibits.

(For which, I will be stopping by at the Apple Genius Bar next week to grouse about.)

I also rate anything that doesn’t work as “Not Recommended!”

Hopefully, if all bloggers pass this along, KODAK might get the message.

(But I doubt it. Business are tin eared! Look at their stock price and you can see the result!)

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MONEY: you can download Suze Orman’s new book free

Thursday, January 8, 2009

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20081119_tows_bookdownload


Here’s a quick reminder that Suze Orman will be on The Oprah Winfrey Show this afternoon to discuss jumpstarting your personal finances in 2009. Serena wrote to let me know that until next Thursday (15 January 2009), you can download Suze Orman’s new book free from Oprah’s web site.

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JOBFINDING: JS gives me three hot ones.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

JS gave me three:

Client Services Coordinator- range $53 – $60K Long Isand, N.Y.

Systems Trainer NYC $55,000

Chief Operating Officer for a “For Profit” IT CONSULTING division of a Non Profit Org

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RANT: Judge Green’s Bell breakup did more than ruin people’s lives.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

FROM LINKEDIN

News Discussion: AT&T Alumni
Does the AT&T Break UP Still Matter? – NYTimes.com
From: New York Times | December 19, 2008

*** begin quote ***

   When AT&T grudgingly agreed to break itself up 25 years ago, it was seen as a truly momentous event in the history of the teleco Read more at New York Times »

*** end quote ***

Gene Russell
   * This article was submitted on December 19, 2008 at 09:00 AM PST

*** begin quote ***

I wrote the marketing and financial sections of the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph “Evaluation of Post Divestiture Provision of Customer Premises Equipment” Business Plan while on Jim Moberg’s team reporting to Sam Ginn. Ultimately many of Judge Green’s rules and regulations destroyed a lot of business strength and growth opportunities. For example the newly minted baby Bells were prohibited from manufacturing telephone equipment i.e. CPE. Ultimately we went off shore and created an intense stream of jobs to go away. We went to LG in Korea, some minor players in Hong Kong and ultimately to China. This lightly written and short article needs a much more serious study and review of all aspects of the break up, the restrictive rules imposed by a Judge without a business background. Many people speak about the break up in terms of their personal experience with their phone and phone service. The deeper industrial and corporate wastage and inefficiencies need to be given serous academic review. PhD proposal anyone?

By Gene Russell President and CEO

*** end quote ***

I know first hand the personal disruption this caused. Family and friends were hurt. I landed on my feet. In some ways, much better off. However, those friends and family never recovered. My mom was forced out after 45 years. She was expecting to work for another 5 years. They did give her 2 years pay. But, she was “her job” and never recovered. My friend was bounced around, ill-treated in the spin outs, and basically tossed. He was out for several years trying to find a slot. There went his “retirement”.

As a country, having been at the Labs a few times, that was the country’s crown jewel. That was nuked.

Western Electric, the manufacturing arm, was nuked as well.

A tremendous cost in people, hardware, and potential.

Down the drain by a bureaucrat in a funny dress.

Argh!

Collective stupidity.

Supposedly to save money?

I just shake my head.

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INTERESTING: Historians battle Wal-Mart over key Civil War site

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090102/D95F79I00.html

Historians battle Wal-Mart over key Civil War site
Jan 2, 3:06 PM (ET)
By STEVE SZKOTAK

*** begin quote ***

LOCUST GROVE, Va. (AP) – Wal-Mart wants to build a Supercenter within a cannonshot of where Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant first fought, a proposal that has preservationists rallying to protect the key Civil War site.

*** end quote ***

Can’t preserve everything? Can’t deny WalMart and the benefits of Chinese plastics?

And, the local politicians need the money!

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JOBSEARCH: How does society deal with employment age discrimination?

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Age discrimination is well-known. It’s an article of faith among seekers and soon-to-be seekers (i.e., old employees).

Akin to the ERISA laws that put a crimp in the aerospace companies that dumped old engineers before they had a chance to earn a pension. Young engineers were cheaper salary-wise, more productive in a dollars sense, and could be induced to work harder (i.e., to pay their dues). ERISA put an end to that pension scam. Once the tactic was exposed, baby engineers weren’t applying at the aerospace firms as a first or second choice.

As the demographics change, and the “social security ponzi scheme” age is ratchets up, we are going to come a time when more “Human Resources” are unemployable and yet unable to collect retirement benefits. It’s the “too old to work” “to young to retire” gap. As a nation, we are losing their contributions to the common wealth. (Not socialistic, but their productivity is lost to the GDP.)

Clearly, “at will” employment has to go.

As well as psuedo “performance reviews”, that are used to cover folks being forced out.

So as a society, what can we construct to fix this problem.

As a little L libertarian, I’m not a fan of gooferment action. But, large corporations are a product of the gooferment, and as such are fair game for regulation.

We see that after 40 the discrimination starts and after 50 it’s rampant and forget after 60.

So we need a way of changing the “cost” of pre-40 and post-40 employment.

“Employment Insurance”?

A company, who hires or continues employing a old person, gets a tax credit?

So the way I would construct it would be a tax and credit scheme.,

20 years @ 5% of a 1$ = $.37

The under 40 payroll would be taxed at $.0037 per dollar of comp. The over 40 payroll would be credited at the same rate.

It would put the gooferment’s thumb on the employment equation just slightly.

Thoughts?

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JOBFINDING: Java programmer for Miami

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

MS needs a strong Java programmer for Miami.

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VETS: Closing the Speicher Case? The People need to “help” the politicians and bureaucrats!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2009/01/closing-speicher-case.html

Sunday, January 04, 2009

Closing the Speicher Case?

*** begin quote ***

The Navy will hold a hearing Monday on the status of Captain Scott Speicher, the F/A-18 pilot who disappeared on the opening night of Operation Desert Storm almost 18 years ago.

Members of the Speicher family believe that Navy Secretary Donald Winter is moving toward changing the aviator’s status from missing/captured to killed. Speicher was initially listed as killed in the hours after his jet went down over Iraq in January 1991. However, his status was changed to “missing in action,” based on an absence of evidence that he died.

A decade later, in October 2002, the service revised Speicher’s status again, listing him as “missing/captured,” although the Navy never explained the reason for the change. The revision came just months before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

*** end quote ***

Now no one would suspect that the Navy might want to save a few bucks. I smell politics between the “pentagon perfumed princes” and “congress critters”.

But then I am always suspicious of them and their actions. It’s not like the put servicemen first.

We, the People, need to “help” them understand that they can’t sweep this out of view!

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TECHNOLOGY: Don’t beleive tech support

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Over on FACEBOOK, a fellow alum reported trouble connecting a Belkin Wireless Card to his home LAN.

*** begin quote ***

TRYING to get Elizabeth’s new wireless card working- Windows sucks!

*** end quote ***

I had given him the following advice.

*** begin quote ***

Suggest downloading and burning the latest UBUNTU distribution. Run it as “LIVE” boot up disk. (As opposed to installing it.) THis will quickly connect to the home lan and tell you, for sure, that it is WINDOZE. That’s good confimation to have. When I have WINDOZE problems like that, I delete everything in sight. And the REBOOT cold three times. (Three times is essential, imho, because it keeps stuff around until it is purged out.) Then, magically, let WINDOZE rebuild the hardware images. WINDOZE does (magically) bring itself back from the dead. No chicken etrails required.

*** end quote ***

He reported:

*** begin quote ***

“The computer had Windows XP from 2002 with no service packs. Even though Belkin said this wouldn’t matter- it did. I used an older wirless G card from another PC to connect to the router, ran the Microsoft XP updates and then put back the new card and it then worked fine.”

*** end quote ***

Argh!

I never thought about the Service Packs.

I responded:

*** begin quote ***

Thanks, Don. It’s the “after action” report with “lessons learned”. I was interested in. (I admit I thought you were still playing with it.) Interesting. I have a general problem with Microsoft Service Packs in that they apply “lots” of fixes. And, there usually on the tricky ones “no retreat” possible. It’s one reason, I have left the “Dark Empire” for good with respect to my “home” computing. An employer paying me can use what ever foolishness they want. I’m happy to collect a paycheck “checking chicken entrails” on Windoze. Personally, I just want stuff that works like the old telephone – cheap, flawlessly, every time, without thought. :-) Well at least that’s the illusion.

*** end quote ***

I still don’t like Service Packs due to the “sometimes you can’t go home again” nature of some of the fixes they apply.

That and the one size fits all nature.

And, you can’t “test”. We’re talking about most folks’ production environment now. You apply it and it breaks stuff, you’re screwed.

Argh!

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MONEY: THe FED is the “root of all evil”!

Monday, January 5, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/stewart9.html

The Crisis in 10 Points
by Robert Stewart

*** begin quote ***

2. The Federal Reserve System (the Fed – created in 1913) has accommodated government’s policy of spending to excess by inflating the money supply and keeping interest rates artificially low. Today’s dollar will buy what in 1913 would cost less than a nickel. This easy-money policy has not only led to inflation but has resulted in investments taking place that would not be justified had the money supply been constrained, and had interest rates more clearly reflected economic reality.

*** end quote ***

IMHO, this is the root of so many evils since 1913. Even the “income tax” wasn’t as bad as this. The FED allows the political class to extract value from the poor and middle class without the “bother” of taxes. It’s the hidden silent tax. And, it extracts more “wealth” than even the “death tax”.

I can’t believe that people are so stupid!

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LOCAL: Frozen lakes are trajedies waiting to happen

Monday, January 5, 2009

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/plainsboro_woman_drowns_trying.html#preview

Plainsboro woman drowns trying to save dog from frozen pond
by Nyier Abdou and Joe Ryan/The Star-Ledger
Saturday January 03, 2009, 7:11 PM

*** begin quote ***

A Plainsboro woman fell through the ice and drowned today while trying to rescue her grandson’s dog from a frozen pond.

*** end quote ***

Posted by reinkefj on 01/05/09 at 8:47AM

*** begin quote ***

Sad.

Interesting to see if a lawsuit doesn’t come out of this. Who owns the lake?

If it’s the town, then a simple rope with a ring would have been a great forethought. Or and after thought?

In the USAF survival school, we were taught, along with a lot of other stuff, not to go on ice with “ice picks”. (Wood dowels with nails protruding.) We had them on the hood draw strings as an inspection item for winter field exercises. Funny the stuff you remember forty years later.

Tonight I’ll remember her in my prayers for her and the family. Valiently trying to save her dog.

*** end quote ***

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SERVICE: Flash cards on the web

Monday, January 5, 2009

http://www.emilychang.com/go/ehub/app/cramberry/

Courtesy of Emily Chang:

*** begin quote ***

Jan 04, 09

Cramberry

A web app that helps people (students, actors, or anyone else) memorize things (schoolwork, lines in a play, etc.) using flashcards. Users create a blank “set” of flashcards, then name the set, and start adding cards to the set. Once you’re ready, the app presents these cards to you in a random order so you can answer the cards.

*** end quote ***

Tried it. One link wrong on their main page. But it does work.

Needs maturation.

(1) No export. (2) No way to monetize your sets of flash cards.

Interesting concept.

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FUN: Phillie’s Football MP4Bs beat Minnie’s Football MP4Bs

Sunday, January 4, 2009

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090105/ap_on_sp_fo_ga_su/fbn_eagles_vikings

Eagles fly past Vikings with 26-14 playoff victory
By DAVE CAMPBELL, AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell, Ap Sports Writer – 1 hr 9 mins ago

*** begin quote ***

MINNEAPOLIS – Above the Metrodome’s deafening noise, Donovan McNabb stayed poised. Completing passes precisely when the Eagles needed him to, McNabb repeatedly sidestepped the Minnesota rush and sent Philadelphia to a 26-14 playoff win Sunday after being all but forgotten as a postseason contender just one month earlier.

*** end quote ***

I’d say that the Vikings were outcouched!

With 6_ minutes to go, 4th and 10, the Vikings punted.

There went the game!

Out Coached!

Argh!

Was a good game up to that point!

# – # – #

Need the title explained?

MP4B = “Millionaires Playing For Billionaires”

And, we’re supposed to cut them some slack, feel sorry for their screwed up lives, and pay tax subsidies to MLB, NFL, NHL, and others? Not bloodly well likely. They should pay their own way and kiss the ground every morning for having it so easy.

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RANT: More spending covered by “tax cuts”. Argh!

Sunday, January 4, 2009

http://online.wsj.com?mod=djemalertNEWS

From: “WSJ.com Editors” <access@interactive.wsj.com>
Date: January 4, 2009 6:52:21 PM EST
Subject: WSJ NEWS ALERT: Obama Eyes $310 Billion Tax Cut

__________________________________

NEWS ALERT

from The Wall Street Journal

Jan. 4, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are crafting a plan to offer as much as $310 billion in tax cuts to individuals and businesses, a move aimed at attracting Republican support for an economic-stimulus package and prodding companies to create jobs.

The size of the proposed tax cuts — which would account for about 40% of a stimulus package that could reach $775 billion over two years — is greater than many on both sides of the aisle in Congress had anticipated, and may make it easier to win over Republicans who have stressed that any initiative should rely relatively heavily on tax cuts rather than.

# – # – #

All you youngsters better speak up or we’ll all be in the “national poorhouse”. We’re probably half-way there already!

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TECHNOLOGY: dot com name gets jumped and “tasted”

Sunday, January 4, 2009

I sought to register “technologyforbusiness” dot com. BLUEHOST reported it “available”. So I was proceeding to close on it. Your system reset? And, now it’s not available. From my 1and1 account I see it’s for sale for 1288$. Please explain?

# – # – #

Bottom line: The interest in the domain trigger a bot at one of the Domain Register that “seized” it. Domain Registrars are allow to reserve, or “taste”, domain names without paying for them for a week. It’s basically fraud. It was intended to allow registrars to hold the name while the applicant completed the transactions. Now it’s used to “front run”. On Wall Street, a trader would go to jail. On the internet, it’s a profit center.

Argh!

The laugh is that I don’t need the name!

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JOBSEARCH: Recent advice to a new “turkey”

Sunday, January 4, 2009

— In MyVirtualPowerForum, I wrote:

> > Jackie,
> > If I were you,
> > FIRST: I’d PUT JACKIE FIRST – I’m aware that this position may be

With all due deference, politeness, and know I may upset the tender sensibilities of the readers …

Dear Ms. Jackie:

SCREW THEM!

They have just “voted you off the island” and your worried about doing a good job for them?

Are you NUTS?

Yeah, you want your thirty days of continuing paychecks, BUT, (there is always a big butt), you have to “look out for Numero Uno.

You need to do a “wet ware control alt delete”. Force Quit all the obsolete notions of employment loyalty of yesteryear. (“I love you my company. You my company love me. Oh how happy we will be … as you send me over Niagara falls sans barrel.”) Don’t sing the company song on the way to the firing squad.

You have a long road to travel. I’ve been down it 6 times and am currently going down it. The “trash-situation-transition road”. Been there, done that, and have the tshirt. And the scars to show for it.

By way of help:

(1) I have a “turkey farm” (that what job seekers are) (Me included!) http://tinyurl.com/lxu93 Feel free to browse and “steal” anything useful.

(2) Feel free to LINKEDIN to me “reinkefj”. Send me an invite.

(3) Listen to VW’s sage advice. (VW: I’d have said “assess financial status” first. Then get working. Need to know how close this shave is going to be.)

(4) Browse the state unemployment website NOW. On company time. They have a check for you. Understand exactly when you can get it and what you have to do for it. They don’t make it easy. But it’s gotten easier over the years. I know personally!

(5) DON’T spend money for “job search” help without vetting it here FIRST. I know the WSAs, the “get a job fast” industry, and “work at home” “barbara streisand” is VERY attractive but it’s designed to separate you from your money and it wastes your time and attention. You may need help with a resume. But that is NOT your immediate need. And, that is relatively cheap. (The good ones that is. Some are overpriced at any price because you do all the work.)   I don’t want to overload you with too much, but you need to quickly reorient yourself to the real world, figure out your Life’s Goals, define your Unique Value Proposition (I see everyone rolling their eyes!) to state what you are going to do to release value, and your Unique Sales Proposition (More eye rolling, I see) to state how you are going to “sell” yourself. Then get going.

Feel free to use me or my stuff or my network. And remember these lessons forever. Unfortunately, too many of our fellow turkeys fall into that old thinking immediately after they land.

We are a nation of “consultants” now. Very short term ones at that!

Best of luck,
fjohn
the big fat old turkey hisself

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POLITICAL: Gaza as theater?

Sunday, January 4, 2009

http://knappster.blogspot.com/2009/01/gaza-in-brief.html  

Gaza, in brief
from KN@PPSTER by Kn@ppster

*** begin quote ***

Israel isn’t going to crush Hamas, because their meal ticket would expire if they did. Hamas isn’t going to settle, for the same reason. The show must go on.

High-quality theatre? Perhaps. But it’s hell on the extras.

*** end quote ***

Interesting perspective. You have to think that it’s a possibility.

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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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