SERVICE: “twitter sparks…” a customer service revolution!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/28/cherchez-la-fame

NSFW: Cherchez la fame – or why the media’s obsession with Twitter campaigns will make customer service smell French

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by Paul Carr on Feb 28, 2010

*** begin quote ***

Time was, companies knew how to keep track of their important customers.

*** and ***

Two years ago, none of this would have been news. A cult film maker was kicked off a flight? So? What was he going to do? Make a film called ‘Jay and Silent Bob hate Southwest airlines’? (Admittedly that would still have been better than Jersey Girl). An entrepreneur’s got quietly kicked out of a members’ club to make way for more profitable clients? Tough shit: that one’s not even newsworthy enough for the most desperate trade magazine. A little known designer gets ripped off by a gigantic retail chain? Boo hoo. Tell it to someone who cares. Without a major celebrity angle, there was little to no chance of the media picking up a run-of-the-mill intellectual property complaint and forcing the company into action.

*** and ***

Really there’s only one answer – and it’s one that strikes at the very heart of the established hierarchy of customer importance. Companies are going to have to start treating every single customer like a VIP. Actually, no, it’s worse than that – consider the Hidden Eloise example; she wasn’t a customer, but just a humble designer. Companies are going to have to start treating every single person in the world like a VIP.

*** end quote ***

Twitter will burn more and more organizations that are inconsiderate, fraudulent, or deceptive.

I love the strategy: form up your ‘David vs Goliath’ story and get people tweeting and retweeting about it.

Then, watch the “blood”!

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POLITICAL: School; gooferment’s disaster

Sunday, February 28, 2010

http://reason.com/archives/2010/02/18/education-is-too-important-for

Education Is Too Important for a Government Monopoly
It’s time to let parents choose
John Stossel | February 18, 2010

*** begin quote ***

Since 1980, government spending on education, adjusted for inflation, has nearly doubled. But test scores have been flat for decades.

Today we spend a stunning $11,000 a year per student—more than $200,000 per classroom. It’s not working. So when will we permit competition and choice, which works great with everything else? I’ll explore those questions on my Fox Business program tonight night at 8 and 11 p.m. Eastern time (and again Friday at 10 p.m.).

The people who test students internationally told us that two factors predict a country’s educational success: Do the schools have the autonomy to experiment, and do parents have a choice?

*** end quote ***

① The gooferment running “education” is in effective (i.e., students don’t learn).

② The gooferment spends way to much to give us uneducated students (i.e., the taxpayers are going broke).

③ “Public education” was designed by the Prussians to make cannon fodder and factory workers who could be led by an “elite”. That is not what we want or need in America.

④ “Public education” unions are corrupt and corrupt politicians.

⑤ The taxpayer doesn’t feed, clothe, or house children; so why do we have to pay to educate them?

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POLITICAL: Classified to protect the interests of whom? Not you and me, for sure!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

http://campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=625

02/20/10
Hushing Up “Conspiracy Theories”
by Jeff Riggenbach

*** begin quote ***

When Cass Sunstein and others seem most worried about is historical narratives that undermine the government.

*** end quote ***

“Classified information” is classified to protect the interests of Big Gooferment and the ruling elite; not us serfs. Why isn’t everything automatically declassified after say 50 years?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: SSNs more than birth certificates

Sunday, February 28, 2010

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9E4JSD80&show_article=1

Shock over voided Puerto Rican birth certificates
Feb 27 10:46 AM US/Eastern
By SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON (AP) – Native Puerto Ricans living outside the island territory are reacting with surprise and confusion after learning their birth certificates will become no good this summer.

A law enacted by Puerto Rico in December mainly to combat identity theft invalidates as of July 1 all previously issued Puerto Rican birth certificates. That means more than a third of the 4.1 million people of Puerto Rican descent living in the 50 states must arrange to get new certificates.

*** end quote ***

You’d a thunk they could have come up with an ORDERLY process, communicated it widely & clearly, and done it with out mass confusion.

But it’s the gooferment!

Remember, without the deadly “social security number”, identity theft would be difficult.

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RANT: How to answer the census!

Saturday, February 27, 2010

“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
Hannibal Lecter played by Anthony Hopkins
in The Silence of the Lambs 1991

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SO this is how we should answer the Census!

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QUOTE: Poverty — L. Neil Smith

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Poverty is a solved problem – all they have to do is abolish taxes and regulations which cripple those intelligent, capable, and responsible men and women and destroy their productive capacity, then stand back and watch the economy boom.

— L. Neil Smith  

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NOTRECOMMENDED: UPS fails

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Trying to track the old lady’s new drug. UPS let us down. I can understand that that the weather causes problems.

BUT, there’s always a big BUTT!

First we get a call that says: “Delivery requires signature today”.

That night: “Cant be completed”

Later: “On its way”

Later that night: “Cant be completed”

Today: “Cant be completed”

And, there is no way to get a live person on the phone!

Argh!

Even some one in a third world country wouldn’t be as frustrating.

Argh!

FedEx’s tracking was much better. And, they had live people!

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JOBSEARCH: Prepare Three Envelopes

Saturday, February 27, 2010

THE WISDOM OF “THREE ENVELOPES”!

Remember the old joke?

*** begin quote ***

A newly-hired top executive for a major company is just settling into his new office when he is visited by the form chief, who had been fired. The displaced executive appears friendly, shakes his hand, and says, “Look, if things get really bad for you, I have something that may help.” And he handed the new executive three envelopes. They parted amicably, the new executive quickly dismissing departing executive’s visit as a result of the shock of his situation. The three envelopes he tossed into the bottom drawer of his desk. Six months later, things were in crisis for the new executive. He was worried, and did not know where to turn or whom to call. Then he remembered the envelopes. He opened the bottom drawer, and took out the first envelope. Inside there was one sheet of paper with a single sentence: “Blame your predecessor.” What a great idea! He followed this advice, and things went very smoothly again. About 6 months later there was another crisis. The new executive again was desperate, when he remembered the envelopes. He reached into the bottom drawer and took out the second envelope. The page inside said, “Reorganize.” So the executive completely reorganized the corporation, and things were going quite well again. About 6 months after reorganizing, things began to fall apart. After employing the best consultants and trying everything he could imagine, things were still getting worse. Then he remembered the third letter. He was sure it would save him. He tore it open, and read the message inside. It said, “Make three envelopes.”

*** end quote ***

To my fellow abused corporate “employees”:

May I give you some advice? Painfully learned. From before the time you “get” the job, you must be aware that it will end. Maybe badly. So, my advice is to prepare, from before you start, for it to end badly.

You know of all the hurdles getting in and you need to know all the hurdles in getting your value out. Here are my thoughts:

(1) You must have at home all the things you will need for your “employment” lawyer to review when you bring your claim to him. (And, you will. When your future employer hands you that severance agreement to sign and you feel you’ve been screwed, tattoed, and not even give a t-shirt! You’ll be visiting a very expensive lawyer wnating him to punish that employer.) Carve out a dedicated space for all the material you’ll have to collect.

(2) Every communication from your employer should be captured and catalogued. An index is essential. That’s the initial offer letter, performance appraisals, copies of checks, expense reports, and the final severance offer.

(3) Like the sneaky bastards they are, there will be a lot of stuff that magically doesn’t get put on paper. That extra week of vacation, concessions, comp time, over time, consideration for being on call 24×7, yada, yada! Oral agreements are worth the paper that they are printed on. You must get in the habit of documenting everything. You don’t know what will be that one fact that could weigh in your favor.

(4) You must be the “chronicaler” of all personnel actions. Keep a “desk book” (i.e., that blank book that has one page per day) of every thing that heppens to your co-workers. Layoffs? You need to itemize every name, age, and anything else you can think of. Capture all org charts. No org charts? Make your own. Same for promotions, demotions, laterals, and transfers. You have to be your own HR department!

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SERVICE: Your ISP email address is a trap; any ATT users as well?

Saturday, February 27, 2010

FROM AN EMAIL CORRESPONDENT

*** begin quote ***

AT&T has made some major changes to its internet system. They included removing the term “worldnet” from the Email address that some of you use to contact me. They will not transmit emails that contain that term after 3/15.

*** end quote ***

https://reinkefaceslife.com/2007/07/14/productivity-changing-email-addresses/

*** begin quote ***

In my mind, it’s impossible to communicate the change to everyone who has your old email address. It may have been given to them by someone else.

*** end quote ***

May I suggest that you might want to avoid giving out your ISP’s email address?

Your ISP’s email is a trap to lock you in to their service. It can leave you high and dry at the most inopportune times.

They can: (1) be acquired; (2) sell out; (3) change their brand; (4) go out of business; (5) do something dumb; OR (6) have a meltdown of some type.

And, you can be out of luck. No email temporarily or permanently. Then you’re forced to change.

Good luck finding everyone who HAS your email address. They may have been given it by someone you know. But you don’t know them.

You should NEVER permit them to own almost the mort important thing you “own” — your email address. It’s a key to your digital identity. if they get bought out or go out.

Argh!

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POLITICAL: Right to Life

Friday, February 26, 2010

“The human being is to be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception; and therefore from the same moment his or her rights as a person must be recognised, among which in the first place is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”

— Dignitas Personae

# – # – #

*** begin quote ***

The Instruction Dignitas Personae on Certain Bioethical Questions was released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in December 2008. This new Vatican document about in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo experimentation is an update of a document written twenty years ago, Donum Vitae (1987), and seeks to address the questions raised by recent developments in biomedical research.

*** and ***

This is a document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). The CDF exists to support the Pope in providing clear teaching on Church doctrine. The Pope has explicitly approved the document and therefore it shares his ordinary teaching authority. This kind of instruction does not have quite the same status as a Papal encyclical or a Church council, but it carries great weight. It is possible to criticise the way in which the CDF might express itself, or the wisdom of speaking on a particular issue at a particular time, but very strong reason is needed to dissent from the teaching itself. Dignitas Personae gives the most up-to-date official Catholic view on bioethical questions.

*** end quote ***

# – # – #

Regardless of whether one is “Catholic” or not, Saint or Sinner, “believer” or atheist, it is hard not to consider the opinions of learned religious leaders.

As pro-life or pro-choice, it’s easy to forget that we are dealing with the essence of our humanity. To forget that is to risk sliding down the road to eugenics and breeding men like cattle.

There are various opinions about when “rights” imbue to men. When they can fight for them. When they can take them. When they can survive on their own. When they are born. When they are conceived.

“All men are created equal. And, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these … “

Seems to answer the “when” question.

So to, this “instruction” seems to answer “what’s a person” question.

While everyone debates, one thing that is per se obvious, this issue is badly served by putting the government in charge. On its BEST day, it can’t handle easy problems. Giving it complex social and personal issue isn’t fair. It’s not designed to handle these. It can’t handle them without “breakage”. Leave it to the people directly involved in. Support them with laws that make it their free choice. Government’s sole role is to protect the people. Even the one’s that are “unpopular”.

My greatest fear is that we will kill “the Golden Child”. In Will Crowther’s Colossal Cave Adventure game, if you killed the bird in Cave #7, you never could proceed past the snake in Cave #11. (Although it was funny to see smart engineers trying “stuff” when it was impossible to proceed.) What if the potential person that’s killed is the next Salk who will cure cancer, the next Hawkings who will explain the Universe, or the next Mother Teresa who will comfort untold number of sufferers?

“The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn.” Pope John Paul II

The Holocaust pales in comparison to the self-inflicted genocide of abortion.

We are fools, messing with what we don’t understand at our own peril.

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INTERESTING: GLenn Beck does the Nolan chart

Friday, February 26, 2010

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/36981/

Glen Beck is “doing” the Nolan Chart.

Wonder if he’s going to mention the Zero Aggression Principle?

# – # – #

http://www.ncc-1776.org/whoislib.html

*** begin quote ***

Who is a libertarian?

Zero Aggression Principle (“Zap”)

   “Zero Aggression Principle”:

   A libertarian is a person who believes that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being for any reason whatever; nor will a libertarian advocate the initiation of force, or delegate it to anyone else.

   Those who act consistently with this principle are libertarians, whether they realize it or not. Those who fail to act consistently with it are not libertarians, regardless of what they may claim.

   — L. Neil Smith

   Formerly called the “Non-Aggression Principle”, or “NAP”

*** end quote ***

Or Amendment Zero?

*** begin quote ***

I propose a Constitutional Amendment providing that, if any public official, elected or appointed, at any level of government, is caught lying to any member of the public for any reason, the punishment shall be death by public hanging.

— L. Neil Smith

*** end quote ***

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QUOTE: the sex lives of teenagers

Friday, February 26, 2010

Any idiot, upon seeing the first automobile, could easily predict that it would revolutionize transportation. Only someone with exceptionally keen insight could have foreseen that it would also revolutionize the sex lives of teenagers.

— Isaac Asimov

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TECHNOLOGY: “system assurance”; yeah, right!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

As old old mainframe guy, I am positive that most platforms have enough “junk” installed on them so that NO ONE can have what we in the old days would call “system assurance”. Say what one wants about the old centralized computing systems, they had change control. Until IBM started to NOT share its microcode and source code with its Customers, any one could sit down with a module and examine what was in fact running with what was supposed to be running. Often when there was an “opportunity”, the first thing that folks did was conduct a “witch hunt” for what was wrong. Today, that is impossible and unheard of.

What’s even more amusing to us “old hands” is the Linux movement and the Web-i-fication of applications. Funny how the world of “distributed computing” is swinging back to “centralization” with Web Operating Systems and Web Applications.

The Linux distribtuions are putting the end users back in control of the Operating System source code.

The Web application are making “system assurance” impossible.

A virus writer no longer has the luxury of the Microsoft mono-culture. Find a operating system hole and exploit it everywhere. And, the Microsoft death grip on applications (i.e., word processing) is being exploded by Google Docs, Zoho, and their ilk. As well as competed with by Open Office.

Anyone who feels confident that they, and their data, are not literally walking a high-wire tight rope across Niagra Falls on a windy day … Well, they are at best naive and at worst foolish.

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MONEY: Ship your luggage?

Thursday, February 25, 2010

http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/kiptips/archives/save-money-by-shipping-your-luggage.html

Kip Tips
Save Money by Shipping Your Luggage
You may spend less by using a shipping company — rather than the airlines — to get your bags to your destination.
By Cameron Huddleston, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com

*** begin quote ***

You may be able to save money by shipping your luggage rather than checking it in the next time you fly. The idea might sound absurd. But if you do the math – as Airfarewatchdog.com has done for you in this chart — you’ll see that it would cost you less in some cases to send your bags to your destination by FedEx, UPS or U.S. Postal Service ground shipping.

*** end quote ***

We did it once before it was fashionable. Worked excellent. Not cheap. Probably cheaper now. And, easier.

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NEWJERSEY: Tackling the NJ financial mess

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

www.cnbc.com/id/35461056  

Kneale: With NJ Governor Christie, a Star Is Born
Published: Thursday, 18 Feb 2010 | 12:35 PM ET
By: Dennis Kneale
CNBC Media & Technology Editor

*** begin quote ***

And he cited a stunning stat: A 42-year-old state government worker in New Jersey who gets a 20-year pension has paid in all of $124,000—and will take out $3.8 million in payments and health coverage for the rest of his life.

This simply can’t continue, yet few other politicians are talking about the government pension bubble that could bankrupt some cities. A new report from the Pew Center on the States says states have promised to pay $3.35 trillion to current and retired workers—and are running $1 trillion short in funding that obligation.

The worst-off state: President Obama’s home state of Illinois, which has funded only 54% of what it will have to pay out. Unions now represent 40% of all government workers, and they are especially powerful at the local and state levels. Given the Dems’ union ties, ya gotta question whether benefit cuts are a viable option, as I wrote about here.

But I now hold out new hope, thanks to Gov. Christie of New Jersey. He brings a fresh new face and a voluble, emphatic voice to politics. Let us pray we hear a lot more from him.

*** end quote ***

Politicians “adding” part time jobs into lucrative pensions at the taxpayers’ expense is also a big problem.

Time to shift to something that resembles private industry.

(1) No defined benefit pensions for anyone.

(2) Eliminate ALL abuses.

(3) 401ks for everyone. “Recognition bonds” for all unfunded liabilities. Use rock solid Insurance Companies to protect both the employees and taxpayers.

Argh!

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QUOTE: Communist

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

“How do you tell a communist? It’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. How do you tell an anti-communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”

—-Ronald Reagan

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Very applicable to the District of Corruption and all the various inhabitants.

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POLITICAL: Reconcilliation may come back to haunt the D’s

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

http://www.lifenews.com/nat6022.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed
&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LifeNewsHeadlines+%28LifeNews.com+Pro-Life+Headlines%29

White House May Unveil Pro-Abortion Health Care Proposal Before Summit
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 18, 2010

*** begin quote ***

The idea behind reconciliation is for the House to approve the Senate bill, which contains massive abortion funding and other pro-abortion problems. Then, both the Senate and House would approve a “corrections” bill that would make change…s to the Senate bill (but not revoking the abortion funding) so members of the House are more likely to vote for the Senate bill.

*** end quote ***

Just like when the R’s shot themselves in the foot with the “Two Term” amendment to prevent FDR from running again (He died anyway before he could run again!), the D’s — if they use reconciliation — will load the gun and aim it at their own foot. Eventually the R’s will have the “controls” and will use reconcilliation again to “rahm” something through!

Turn about is “fair play”. The worm always turns! And, the taxpayer always gets screwed. Sheeple!

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JOBSEARCH: We Don’t Need As Many College Grads

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

http://www.allthingsworkplace.com/

Are We Educating for the Right Jobs?
We Don’t Need As Many College Grads As People Think
Steve Roesler

*** begin quote ***

How Many College Graduates Does the U.S. Really Need?

*** end quote ***

I have lately questioned the ROI of an “expensive” college education.

I’m sure I’m not the first. Nor, the last.

By “expensive”, I think efficient and effective. Efficient, in that, it’s affordable. Effective, in that, it leads to a lifetime of satisfying and rewarding employment in the service of others.

REMEMBER my personal formulation of “Success For Your Generation”

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 NON-OFFSHORABLE 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.

I disagree SLIGHTLY with Steve on “We can and should question whether the current system is designed to effectively produce what, and who, is needed.” That’s a good MACRO question. But as participants in the job market, we can’t care about grand scale problems; we have to worry about the MICRO question. What’s good for me?

The country is beset with so many political problems caused by “fuzzy thinking”. A good college education might help create an “educated electorate”. Unfortunately the current education paradigm — schools completely under the control of secular progressives who think esteem is more important than wisdom — is unlikely to produce the hard-nosed pragmatic thinkers we need to work our way out of these problems. (My personal suggestion is to KICK the gooferment out of education completely. It’s only job is to prevent the residents from force. So private schools should be the rule; with the gooferment ensuring that there is no fraud.)

I think that my alma mater, Manhattan College, strikes a great balance. Remember it’s just the “well”; it’s the students who bring the energy and the “bucket”. When I was taking my engineering courses, I questioned the need for philosophy, theology, and literature courses. Upon reflection, maybe those were MORE important.

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RANT: ONLY REAL PEOPLE PAY TAXES

Monday, February 22, 2010

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/02/driving-rich-away.html

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Driving the rich away

Hank Kalet

FROM THE COMMENTS

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Dear Anonymous:

>we should reduce taxes on businesses and corporations because it will create jobs.

Help me understand something: A business sells “stuff”. It adds up all its costs, tacks on some profit, and people but that “stuff”. A corporate tax is just ANOTHER cost. The business actually EITHER passes it along to the consumer OR goes out of business.

Right?

(Ignore for the moment that if it reduces its obscene profit to cover the tax so as not to pass it along. It still is passing that tax along by accepting a lower profit.)

So, we should have a ZERO corporate tax for NO OTHER REASON than it conceals exactly how much we are paying in taxes.

ONLY REAL PEOPLE PAY TAXES.

Jobs has nothing to do with it! Honesty does.

If I buy a can of beans, I have NO way of knowing how much “tax” I am paying in the price of that can of beans.

On April 15th, the tax I paid on that can of beans isn’t in what I pay as “my taxes”. It’s hidden.

I think if people knew what they were paying, really and truly, bottom line number, there would be a GIANT revolt. Make the Tea Parites of last summer look like a gardent tea party.

It’s actually much worse than we can intuit. When a company makes a capital good that other companies use to make “stuff” we have taxes on top of taxes being hidden. Buried hip deep in obfuscation.

And the congresscritters like it just that way. Keep the rubes dumb about what they are actually paying for this class of a “new priesthood” in the District of Corruption and other “capitols”!

Argh!

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POLITICAL: Answer the Census; question 1 only!

Monday, February 22, 2010

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=125279

My 1-question census form
Posted: February 17, 2010
Walter E. Williams

*** begin quote ***

Americans need to stand up to Washington’s intrusion into our private lives. What business of government is the number of times a citizen has been married or what he paid for electricity last month? For those who find such intrusion acceptable, I’d ask them whether they’d also find questions about their sex lives or their marriage fidelity equally acceptable.

What to do? Unless a census taker can show me a constitutional requirement, the only information I plan to give are the number and names of the people in my household. The census taker might say, “It’s the law.” Thomas Jefferson said, “Whensoever the General Government (Washington) assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force.”

*** end quote ***

Prof Williams challenges us to fight for our rights.

You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.

Buzz off!

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MONEY: Beat Airline Fees

Sunday, February 21, 2010

http://www.forbes.com/2010/02/18/nanofiber-clothing-iphone-technology-cio-network-travel.html?partner=technology_newsletter

Travel
How To Beat Airline Fees
Quentin Hardy, 02.18.10, 07:00 PM EST
Garments and gadgets that let you travel light and avoid extra charges on your next trip.

*** begin quote ***

This was before plausible roller bags, Web sites for lightweight travelers, and all the digital folding headphones, smart phone stands and nanofiber clothing that make the light life easy. It was also before the cursed baggage fees–now beating them is almost like flying for free.

*** end quote ***

Of course, I would only fly if I couldn’t get an appointment for a colonoscopy!

It also makes the “safety” case that all that junk dragged into the cabin makes us ALL unsafe should an emergency occur. The TSA should be the bad guy, (It is already.) By enforcing the number and size restrictions on carry ons. The airlines SHOULD charge for all the carry on crap. That’s what SHOULD be discouraged! Make checked bags free; carry on costs!

Argh!

If I were “king”, I’d proclaim the diktat throughout the land. And the serfs would rejoice.

If not for that, then for the fact we’d be using gold as a monetary standard and the gooferment would be cut down to size. (And, the airlines would be running the terminals, schedules, and “security”. Where passengers could sue in the “king’s” court for damages.)

And, peace and prosperity would be the rule though out the “kingdom”.

I can only wish!

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INSPIRATIONAL: Old vet is still courageous

Sunday, February 21, 2010

http://www.galesburg.com/news/x1025062431/Retired-railroad-man-Howard-Benthine-recalls-World-War-II-battles

Retired railroad man recalls World War II battles
Howard Benthine will go on Honor Flight April 23
By ANNIE ZAK
The Register-Mail
Posted Feb 14, 2010 @ 08:12 AM

*** begin quote ***

Howard Benthine was not even 19 years old when he killed another man for the first time.

*** and ***

Benthine faces cancer with the same attitude with which he faced war.

“We’ve had a hell of a good life. An outstanding life.”

*** end quote ***

Life was simpler then. Go to war, come home, get a job, work your way up the corporate ladder, and wed.

“Bon courage a vous tous”

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Estates don’t make it to heirs

Saturday, February 20, 2010

http://mortonlaw.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/a-tale-of-two-sisters.html

February 10, 2010
A Tale of Two Sisters

*** begin quote ***

While meeting with a client yesterday I heard a story that I thought was instructive and worth repeating. My client’s two aunts were both in the same nursing home. One of her aunts was destitute, and her room was paid for by Medicaid. The other had managed to save a couple of hundred thousand dollars and was in the room next door privately paying for her care at about $5,000 per month. After about 3 years, the other aunt was also destitute and received Medicaid. My client correctly observed that both sisters had the same type of room, in the exact same facility, and received the same care, but one was spending her life’s savings while the other received the same care at no cost. My client wisely recognized the wisdom of planning in order to preserve her life’s savings.

*** end quote ***

Having seen this situation up close and personal, I agree it’s a disaster.

A great aunt gave a substantial estate to eventually getting tossed from a “private” nursing home into a state facilitiy. An aunt, who was merely “great” to me, burned through a several hundred thousand dollar “savings” to wind up the same way.

The answer: don’t get old!

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: Tiger’s apology; not looking too good

Saturday, February 20, 2010

He’s a private citizen, who is a media star. The billions of bucks he makes off the rubes was at risk by his bad behavior. His image needed to be re-shined. I suspect that what this is all about.

BUT! But, I could care less.

Rosie O’Donnell has made me skeptical of media icon, who have a persona, that hides their true spirit.

So, this may be sincere; time will tell.

Already I’m suspicious. “No domestic violence.” Well, who broke the windshield with the golf club?

As some wag said, “Apparently, the only person who can beat Tiger Woods with a golf club is his wife.”

So after promising to lead a better life, he, or rather his writers, told a whopper!

Argh!

We’ll see.

There’s a Chinese Proverb: “Talk doesn’t cook rice.”

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Shrinking the gooferment

Saturday, February 20, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/crovelli/crovelli42.1.html

What Has ‘The Union’ Ever Done for Colorado?

by Mark R. Crovelli

*** begin quote ***

Enough time has passed, and enough Coloradoan blood has been spilled on foreign soil, for Coloradoans to realize that the federal government has not, and never will, protect Colorado from foreign threats. For, the tragic history of the relationship between Coloradoans and the federal government reveals no foreign threats to Colorado except those provoked or imagined by the federal government. The historical record reveals, in other words, a federal government that is itself bathed in the blood of Coloradoans.

*** end quote ***

You could insert ANY state in this paragraph. Including Hawaii. FDR engineered that attack.

We need to pare the Federal gooferment down to size. One way to do it is state by state.

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

FUN: dogmatic

Saturday, February 20, 2010

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dogmatic

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Leave a Comment » | FUN | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

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