INTERESTING: Copyright violation

Friday, July 8, 2011

I have a bunch of content. Commonly called LP33s, 45s, Cassettes, books, software, hardware. Paid list price for them.

Problem: I’d like to enjoy them on my laptop or my ipad.

Why should I have to pay for the content again?

If I download them via bit-torrent from a pirate, then how much trouble can I be in?

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Posted by reinkefj

SERVICE: GOOGLE+ slugish start

Friday, July 8, 2011

GOOGLE+, Google’s version of FACEBOOK, is off to a slow start.

Somehow, not really sure how, I scored an invite.

Initial setup was trivial.

Added about forty folks whom I thought could benefit and enjoy this new “facebook”.

The big attraction to me was the ability to update, like “tweet”, to a specific subset of identities. My highschool mates versus my favorite headhunters versus my relatives.

Rumor hath it that adding someone to a circle triggered an invite.

So I loaded a dummy email (i.e., one of the many I have for various purposes) and about 12 hours later, it received an email update but no invite. So much for that myth.

It’s not very useful without participation. I could effect the same result with a big CC list.

Also, it appears that I can’t control the display name of the identity in my circle.

Also, it appears that there is a weak linkage to GMAIL’s contacts. With no “update”. I went to GMAIL’s contacts and I can’t figure out where the “name” for an identity is coming from. I loaded an email into GOOGLE+ and put in the name in the format I like. Poof, it gave it a different name that is not related to anything I have for it. Weird? And, I can’t fix it.

Finally, putting a post in the Google group for support, generates an email summary of a hundred or so messages, at semi random intervals.

Interesting?

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Posted by reinkefj

JOBFINDING: .Net Developer- Boston Contract

Friday, July 8, 2011

Location: Boston

Contract: 2 Months – option to extend or hire. Can start ASAP

Requirments: Can be flexible on on listed below C#.Net is most important.

Rate: Negotiable

Company: Asset Manager $22 Billion AUM

Position Overview

The primary responsibility of the Developer is to work with portfolio managers, analysts and traders on a daily basis to assist in enhancing the organization’s investment processes. The Portfolio Associate will report to the head of implementation for the stock selection products.

Position Responsibilities

• Assist analysts with:

o Developing new systems to enhance the process of optimizing portfolios

o Creating tools to assist in analyzing performance attribution

o Reviewing and enhancing quality control and risk management reports

• Assist traders with:

o Enhancing the reconciliation process

o Creating proprietary transaction cost analysis tools

• Create tools and reports which effectively communicate key investment positions and risks to team

Education and Work Experience

• BA or BS degree required: major in finance, computer sciences, operations management, mathematics or similar discipline is preferred

• Superior undergraduate record

• Prior work experience in the financial industry with firm understanding of basic equity concepts, where applicable, is a plus

• Excellent computer skills, including working knowledge of C#, S+, SQL or similar

• Team player; willingness to work with people at all levels to promote the common interest, willingness to work tirelessly toward the achievement of both departmental and personal goals

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Price support and price ceilings are just hidden taxes on a free market

Friday, July 8, 2011

FROM FACEBOOK

*** begin quote ***

Seems to me that it’s a spectacular leap of illogic to assume that allowing employers to pay subsistence (or worse) wages to all would somehow help with the problem of youth unemployment.

*** end quote ***

Well, I’m just a fat old white guy injineer, but Austrian economists don’t seem to see it as such a big leap. If all labor rates have a floor, then the inexperienced, who can’t present a value equation greater than the artificial floor, will go unemployed. If I’m a shop owner and have a dirty floor that is worth 4$ to clean, I can hire the local kid to sweep it without falling a foul of the Gooferment diktat. The work goes undone, or the shopkeeper does it himself. And, the local kid loses an opportunity to learn critical skills — show up on time, do a good job, and be polite to all. And, that’s how you get 40% minority unemployment. A diktat precludes a free marketplace for labor. If you’re still unconvinced I can tell you about my cousin the elevator operator.

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Anytime the Gooferment creates a “price support” (i.e., minimum wage, milk prices, sugar tariff, tobacco subsidy) or a “price ceiling” (i.e., rent control, financial interest rates, ATM fees) they are screwing the little people and enriching their political contributors. Support for milk farmers means that poor people pay more than they have to. Why is a gallon of milk cost as much as a gallon of gas? Just visualize the effort into gas versus the effort for milk. Rent control ensures that rental units are in short supply and “hogged” by politician like Rangal who had 4 rent controlled apartments. Why do people get to inherit a rent controlled apartment? Guess poor people don’t need good affordable housing. Argh! The politicians and bureaucrats have done a great job fooling “We, The Sheeple”.

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Price support translate to being forced to pay more than you should have to. It’s a transfer of wealth from the buyer to the seller. The seller can sell as many units as they would with out interference. The buyers have less to spend. And, at the margins, there are people who can’t afford the product at the higher price.

Price ceiling translate to being unable to buy what you want (i.e., shortages). Rent controlled apartments are NOT offered as they would in a free market because the owner can’t recover their true costs.

Seems obvious in both Keynesian or Austrian economics.

We have prosperity because of capitalism, the division of labor, and the free markets. The invisible hand of the market assures tht everyone gets an equal amount of “happiness” with the minimum of overhead (i.e., Buyers and sellers don’t trade unless both are better off. Non-buyers and non-sellers don’t trade because neither would feel better off. The free market is an immense calculator that uses price to balance supply and demand. It’s a beautiful “thing” that makes us cooperate to everyone’s betterment. Until the Gooferment gets in and messes things up.)

Argh! Sigh!

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Posted by reinkefj

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