INTERESTING: Temple restricts everyone’s free speech rights

Friday, April 23, 2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-lukianoff/temple-student-group-plac_b_537916.html

Temple Student Group Placed on Probation for Inviting Me to Speak?
Greg Lukianoff is the president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE).
Posted: April 14, 2010 04:24 PM

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A Temple University student group was notified this morning that it was on probation because of me. Apparently Temple just decided I am either so dangerous or so important that I need security for a lecture on campus tonight (I promise I am neither), but since the group sponsoring me did not request security, it is on probation effective immediately.

*** end quote ***

Interesting!

What happened to “free speech”?

Temple University’s “about” page doesn’t say if it’s public or private. Regardless, it takes Federal funds so it’s a de facto Federal agent. Hence it can’t abridge free speech. So this “security fee”, and the flap over it, is chilling to the free speech rights of everyone.

Argh!

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SERVICE: UofP blows it by not offering alumni email

Friday, April 23, 2010

*** begin quote ***

A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of
its recipients. The following addresses failed:
<xxxxxxxxx@email.uophx.edu>
SMTP error from remote server in greeting:
host email.uophx.edu[204.17.28.37]:
550 Requested action not taken: mailbox unavailable.

*** end quote ***

Interesting! University of Phoenix takes down email when it’s student’s graduate. How short sighted is that?

Obvious, even if I had to cut a deal with Google for Gmail to offer to all my alumni that’s a great marketing ploy.

Future sales. Referrals. References. Social networking. Free advertisign when folks use it. Alumni networking.

Boy, did they blow it.

They may have the next generation in the “education” model, but they still have old thinking at the top.

Traditional schools most flub it as well, but they’re dinosaurs so what would you expect!

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Posted by reinkefj

INSPIRATIONAL: Milton Friedman on Capitalism and “greed is universal”; it’s good for the poor too

Thursday, April 22, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjH4QBSwWlg&feature=player_embedded

Milton Friedman Teaches Phil Donahue
Posted by Karen De Coster on April 14, 2010 07:15 PM

*** begin quote ***

Sure, Donahue was a boob, even when he was right (such as war), but just 30 years later, can you imagine any television talk show host bringing on an intellectual with the caliber of Milton Friedman? Compare Oprah or Sally Jesse Raphael. Donahue also interviewed Ayn Rand. In light of that, I have many fond memories of the Phil Donahue show. My Mom had his show on all the time, so I watched it, whenever possible, from the time I was about ten years old. I learned much from the debate/discussion on his show.

*** end quote ***

Two minutes; Safe For Work. Stunningly inspirational!

In the movie, we learned from the character Gordon Gekko that “Greed is Good”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7upG01-XWbY

“I am not a destroyer of companies. I am a liberator of them! The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much.”

Here we learn from Milton Friedman, that it’s not only good for the poor unwashed masses, but that it’s inescapable.

All “leaders” always have clay feet pursuing their own ends. They can’t help but be human.

And, Milton Friedman warns us to trust none of them.

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: I have some anecdotal evidence that I never understood

Thursday, April 22, 2010

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1201-glasses_help_parkinsons_patients.htm

Science Video
Glasses Help Parkinson’s Patients
Podiatrist Invents Device To Make Walking Easier For Parkinson’s Sufferers
December 1, 2007

*** begin quote ***

The augmented reality glasses simulate an effect called kinesia paradoxa: the triggering of normal walking behavior in akinetic Parkinson’s patients by the placement of physical obstacles at their feet. Sometimes such cues exist naturally, such as black and white tiles placed evenly on a floor. The black tiles appear as objects to avoid, or as guides, and trigger a reflex of landing the feet between the black spaces. Walking up regularly spaced objects like stairs triggers the same effect, and can “un-freeze” a person who otherwise has problems walking with a normal gait. Presenting virtual objects and abstract visual cues moving through the patientýs visual field at speeds that emulate normal walking can also achieve this effect.

*** end quote ***

When I read this i had a “Great Brother Jasper’s Ghost!!!” moment.

My Mom has just past. As she aged, she suffered terribly with Parkinson’s.

Growing up, she had spent a lot of money on black and white tiles through out the apartment. Maybe it was her way, even without knowing it, that she was compensating.

Wish I could tell the author. It might help him to another breakthrough.

I find this an interesting explanation.

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RANT: A truly free market requires no license!

Thursday, April 22, 2010

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/04/22/obama-to-scold-wall-street-in-cooper-union-speech/?mod=djemalertNEWS

*** begin quote ***

“A free market was never meant to be a free license to take whatever you can get, however you can get it,” President Obama will say, according to speech excerpts.

*** end quote ***

One thing about OBH44, his speeches are a hoot!

A truly free market requires no license!

It’s a meeting of the minds of two sovereign individuals who agree to an exchange that benefits both of them. (If there was no mutual benefit, why would they do it!)

It requires no Gooferment intervention. Ever!

Force prevention (i.e., physical security) is RESPONSIBILITY of the parties involved. They will probably subcontract that responsibility to who ever rents the space for the exchange to them.

Fraud prevention (i.e., some one breaches the contract) is handled by the marketplace by reputation. Break your word and no one will do business with you.

SO why is a Gooferment bureaucrat (albeit the Head Bureaucrat) trying to mislead us into thinking that some type of “license” is required. At least the highwaymen of olden days just robbed us of our wealth, they didn’t try to confuse us as well!

Argh!

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footnote: I was so argh-ravative by this story that I broke my regular publishing schedule to bring this online. One man’s rant in the blog forest. I doubt anyone will notice. Arghhhhh!

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Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: MacBookAir decided it needed a power off

Thursday, April 22, 2010

No apparent reason other than it detected an unspecified “problem”.

Upon restarting, it dutifully sent a report off to the Apple Corps Headquarters.

So here we start the MTTR, MTBF, and ELAPSED clocks again.

This is unusual behavior that one would expect of WIndoze, or Microstuff’s Autoupdate?

Perhaps Apple has “clay feet” as well.

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: The State is fostering worship of the Earth

Thursday, April 22, 2010

http://njtoday.net/2010/04/19/earth-day-at-the-e-a-r-t-h-center-2/

Earth Day at the E.A.R.T.H. Center
Monday, April 19, 2010

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SOUTH BRUNSWICK—Earth Day has long been a time to think globally and act locally. That’s why on Thursday April 22, Middlesex County’s office of Rutgers Cooperative Extension invites you to celebrate the 40th birthday of the modern environmental movement, with Earth Day at the EARTH Center in Davidson’s Mill Pond Park, 42 Riva Avenue, South Brunswick, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Families are encouraged to pack a picnic dinner and blanket to enjoy an evening in the park. The event is intended to familiarize residents with the EARTH Center’s theme of environmental stewardship and encourage them to take action in their own backyards.

*** end quote ***

Isn’t this the State fostering worship of the Earth or Gaia, (the Greek goddess of the Earth), as a substitute for all those other relations.

It’s taught in school.

And, why would they do that?

To increase their power over the Sheeple, silly Citizen. The Gooferment is the King or Tyrant of old and wants no limits on their power. Certainly not by a sect that teaches “Thou shalt not kill” and “Love thy neighbor as thy self”!

Now, personally, as a little L libertarian, I don’t care what you do or do NOT believe in. You can even adore the The Flying Spaghetti Monster and practice Pastafarianism for all I care.

I DO CARE when the State sets up a State Religion and that’s what Earth Day is!

imho

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TECHNOLOGY: The value of strange email addresses

Thursday, April 22, 2010

It’s no secret that I have lots of email addresses.

Some are pretty standard that I use for catch alls. Some are hung off the domains that I own. Some are secret for dedicated purposes. Some for family, friends, social networking, fellow alums, and past coworkers.

I’m always amused when some spammer or ne’er-do-well guesses the address and the bank I use.

Obviously, a bank message on the “wrong” id (e.g., First Superior Bank’s message comes in to me@jumpingkangaroos.com) sticks out like a sore thumb. Just as obvious, an email account dedicated to my bank (e.g., MY BANK @ SUPER secret address dot com) suddenly has weight loss ads. Like a sef-proving affidavit, the message and the account must “align”.

I’m less amused when spam looks like a real message and comes in on an account where it might be valid. Then I have to waste time to recognize the “barbara streisand”.

Argh!

When will we get fully authenticated email?

I find it funny when spam comes to my Yahoo account purporting to be from Yahoo. Is anyone awake at Yahoo? NO ONE, nobody, should be allowed to queue a message that purports to from the provider. Wake up guys. IT isn’t supposed to be short for IDIOT!

Why can’t we have a PKI infrastructure at least with an ISP for starters that would ensure that intra Verizon, Comcast, or other large ISP is authentic?

Argh!

For this IT Architecture weenie doesn’t think this is rocket science!

Fix it guys!

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SERVICE: 2 Google Voice invites

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

*** begin quote ***

You have 2 Google Voice invites left.

*** end quote ***

Anyone want them?

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: Corporations shift their IT costs

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

http://www.forbes.com/2010/04/20/smartphone-mobile-iphone-technology-cio-network-blackberry.html

JargonSpy
The End Of The BlackBerry Elite
Dan Woods, 04.20.10, 06:00 PM EDT
Companies are increasingly allowing workers to use their personal smartphones for work.

*** begin quote ***

And now that smartphones are relatively inexpensive and many workers own one, companies are encouraging employees to use their personal phones for work. One retail executive told me that most of his employees were eager to use their personal phones to stay in touch with work e-mail, and some workers could be reimbursed for their phone and texting charges.

Increasingly, companies are attempting to bring personally owned smartphones into the fold of corporate IT, which in practice usually means providing access to MS Exchange or Lotus Notes. This fits into the vision of Organic IT in which corporate IT is delivered through personal technology.

*** end quote ***

This brings up some interesting questions like ownership, liability, wage ‘n’ hour, and exhaustion. All questions that the CxOs really don’t want to recognize.

When corporate data leaks onto an employee device with the corporations blessing, who owns it? Customer lists take to a competitor by a job changing employee leaps to mind.

What are the liability issues with agreeing to this? An employees answers a email while driving and crashes defends with “the boss made me do it”.

If an employee has to support “off-hours”, what’s the wage ‘n’ hour implications?

If an employee is exhausted and burnt out, what is the costs of the mistakes and replacing them?

And I’m not even a lawyer; just a fat old white guy injineer who has had to “do” it.

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