TECHNOLOGY: Outsourcing maybe coming “home”?

Thursday, August 11, 2011

http://www.economist.com/node/21524822

Schumpeter
The trouble with outsourcing
Outsourcing is sometimes more hassle than it is worth
Jul 30th 2011

*** begin quote ***

Companies are rethinking outsourcing, rather than jettisoning it. They are dumping huge long-term deals in favour of smaller, less rigid ones. The annualised value of “mega-relationships” worth $100m or more a year fell by 62% this year compared with last. Companies are forming relationships with several outsourcers, rather than putting all their eggs in few baskets. They are signing shorter contracts, too. But still, they need to think harder about what is their core business, and what is peripheral. And above all, newspaper editors need to say no to the temptation to outsource business columns to cheaper, hungrier writers.

*** end quote ***

Having seen some of the disasters from bad outsourcing deals, it’s not always a winner for everyone.

Clearly, to be competitive, USA industry and “We, The Sheeple” have to be razor sharp.

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GUNS: Riots and Flash Mobs are “cured” by the RKBA

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/92801.html

“Concealed Carry” Will End The British Riots Overnight
Posted by Christopher Manion on August 9, 2011 08:06 PM

*** begin quote ***

Lew, a few years after Virginia adopted its “shall issue” concealed carry law, I remember a long story in the Washington Post wondering why crime rates had risen in recent years much more in Maryland, which had no such law, than in Virginia. Well, duh!

*** end quote ***

We need more “sheepdogs” sprinkled in the flock of “We, The Sheeple”.

Remember the Rodney King riots in LA? And, the Korean Grocery Store Owners with their rifles.

It was like an oasis in chaos.

We need Constitutional Carry in the USA.

Then the Yobs can riot all they like. And, the “wildings” of the past can be dealt with by a few sheepdogs.

Wanna bet the disadvantaged urban yutes find other less lethal pastimes. Think of it as cleaning the gene pool and reducign the welfare rolls.

Now, about that minimum wage law!

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INTERESTING: Titanic’s rivets

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

From NATGEOTV

Titanic: How it really sank (2009)

Iron rivets failed.

“The side opens like a zipper.”

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POLITICAL: Thinking about our girls and boys in harm’s way; for what?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

http://bigpeace.com/jbernard/2011/08/09/did-our-counterinsurgency-strategy-lead-to-the-death-of-our-navy-seals/

Did Our Counterinsurgency Strategy Lead To The Death Of Those Navy SEALs?
Posted by John Bernard, 1st Sgt. USMC (ret.)
Aug 9th 2011 at 9:03 am

*** begin quote ***

Why aren’t American deaths on the battlefield today, as repugnant to our current leadership as they were back then? Why don’t the leaders of this country, today, expect the Afghan’s to share the devastation of broken families, untimely death of children and other ravages of warfare to secure their own futures?

*** end quote ***

You can’t Monday morning qback the loss.

We can Monday morning qback the strategy that puts the girls in boys downrange on a live fire range!

If we were more like the Swiss, we’d MYOB!

Then those folks wouldn’t be in harm’s way without a good reason.

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MONEY: The FED screws us up

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

http://www.nationalreview.com/kudlows-money-politics/274153/bernanke-rescue

Bernanke to the Rescue
August 9, 2011 5:28 P.M.
By Larry Kudlow

*** begin quote ***

Damn the torpedoes! Up periscope! Full speed ahead! Ben Bernanke and the Fed to the rescue!

In a startling move Tuesday, the FOMC announced that its zero-interest-rate target would be extended for two more years through the middle of 2013, marking the first time the target rate has ever been pegged to a date certain.

*** end quote ***

Absurd!

The FED is the problem.

Let the market operate and reset the prices to value. Will folks take a hair cut? Yup. But remember Japan’s lost decade. How’s that working out for them? Want that here? Just let the Gooferment muck about with no plan!

Argh!

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TECHNOLOGY: Lost manual control

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_bfd1cc1c-089b-5682-9465-955bcab1fbea.html

Home / News / Local / Metro
Officials say mummified Jennings woman thought dead for years was receiving benefits
BY MARLON A. WALKER • mwalker@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8104 | Posted: Tuesday, August 2, 2011 12:07 am |

*** begin quote ***

JENNINGS • A woman whose mummified remains were found earlier this year in the Jennings home she had shared with her daughter had been receiving Social Security benefits, the agency confirmed Monday.

*** end quote ***

Remember when some genius eliminated mailing Social Security checks saving a lot of administrative expense?

Well, here’s the collateral damage.

Making old folks show up at the bank with their check at least ensured that they were alive and hence being properly paid.

It may be a good trade off but there should be a compensating control.

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TINFOILHAT: JFK – LBJ connection

Monday, August 8, 2011

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Jackie-Kennedy-blamed-Lyndon-B-Johnson-for-JFK-Murder-127220093.html

Jackie Kennedy believed LBJ had her husband killed new tape shows
Interview also reveals her affair with actor William Holden
By CATHAL DERVAN, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Monday, August 8, 2011, 6:48 AM
Updated Monday, August 8, 2011, 9:51 AM

*** begin quote ***

Jackie Kennedy believed Lyndon B Johnson was behind the 1963 assassination of her husband John F Kennedy.

Sensational tapes recorded by the First Lady months after the President’s death are to be released ahead of schedule by her daughter Caroline.

In the tapes, to be broadcast by ABC, Kennedy reveals her belief that Johnson and a cabal of Texas tycoons orchestrated the murder of her husband by gunman Lee Harvey Oswald.

*** end quote ***

Still think that there’s nothing to be found?

Smoke and fire.

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POLITICAL: Every opportunity to shrink Gooferment is missed

Monday, August 8, 2011

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=328713

Red ink as far as I can see
Posted: August 01, 2011
Joseph Farah

*** begin quote ***

Before I get into the details of the “bipartisan” scandal that is the debt deal shaping up this week, let me explain the historic opportunity that was blown by the Republican House majority. They could have crippled Barack Obama’s administration for the remaining 18 months of his term. They could have forced the deepest cuts in federal spending in the history of the republic. They could have forced the budget to be balanced immediately. They could have forced deep cuts and possibly even the elimination of worthless and unconstitutional agencies and departments like Education, Agriculture, Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency and Homeland Security. They could have forced defunding of Planned Parenthood, NPR, PBS, the National Endowment for the Arts and countless foreign wealth transfers. They could have postponed any implementation of Obamacare until it could be dealt with in finality in 2013.

*** end quote ***

Every time there’s a line in the sand for smaller Gooferment, someone blinks.

This time was no different.

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TECHNOLOGY: Edge Walk

Sunday, August 7, 2011

http://picocool.com/travel/edge-walk–cn-tower-toronto-1

*** begin quote ***

Edge Walk | Cn Tower Toronto

EdgeWalk at the CN Tower, has become Toronto’s most extreme attraction. Thrill lovers will walk on the edge of one of the world’s tallest buildings, 356m/1168ft (116 storeys) above the ground. Visitors will walk in groups of six, while attached to an overhead safety rail via a trolley and harness system.

*** end quote ***

This is one of those pictures that will make you wonder if they have lost their minds.

It’s one of those that makes me sick!

I’d need more than a safety harness.

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TECHNOLOGY: TED is interesting thinking

Sunday, August 7, 2011

http://blog.ted.com/2011/08/02/ted-books-hit-apples-ibookstore

TED Books hit Apple’s iBookstore

*** begin quote ***

Great news: TED Books are now available on Apple’s iBookstore. It’s an exciting time for publishing, and we’re glad to work with Apple to make TED Books available to as many readers as possible. TED Books, which launched earlier this year, are an imprint of short nonfiction works designed for digital distribution. Shorter than traditional books, TED Books run fewer than 20,000 words each–long enough to explain a powerful idea, but short enough to be read in a single sitting. They are $2.99.

{Extraneous Deleted}

The Happiness Manifesto: How Nations and People Can Nurture Well-Being by Nic Marks; Weekday Vegetarian: Finally, a Palatable Solution by Graham Hill with Alex Estes; Media Makeover: Improving the News One Click at a Time by Alisa Miller; Beware Dangerism! Why We Worry About the Wrong Things and What It’s Doing to Our Kids by Gever Tulley; Make Love Not Porn: Technology’s Hardcore Impact on Human Behavior by Cindy Gallop; Homo Evolutis: Please Meet the Next Human Species by Juan Enriquez and Steve Gullans; and Aftercrimes, Geoslavery, and Thermogeddon: Thought-Provoking Words from a Lexicographer’s Notebook by Erin McKean.

*** end quote ***

TED is interesting thinking about technology.

Three bucks is cheap!

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MONEY: 10 reasons not to use credit cards

Saturday, August 6, 2011

http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/family-money/10-reasons-im-cancelling-my-credit-cards-1310065287880

*** begin quote ***

10. Cash helps people I want to help. The money goes to the merchant and his suppliers. When I go into my local credit union to cash a check, I’m keeping a couple of local tellers in work. Credit cards? I’m helping finance bank executives, marketing teams and call centers in India. I am sure they are all fine people, and I wish them well. But if I had to choose, and I do, I would rather help my local merchants and credit union staff.

*** end quote ***

Interesting take on the value of using cash.

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FUN: Immortality wish

Saturday, August 6, 2011

FROM MY OLDER FRIEND’S DAUGHTER

*** begin quote ***

I met a fairy today who said she would grant me one wish.

“I want to live forever,” I said.

“Sorry,” said the fairy, “I’m not allowed to grant wishes like that!”

“Fine,” I said, “then I want to die after Congress gets their heads out of their asses!”

“You crafty bastard,” said the fairy.

*** end quote ***

ROFL!

(She knows my warped sense of humor. As if Congress could actually accomplish anything, like getting their head place anywhere, in the first place.)

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FLASH: 31 Americans killed in crash

Saturday, August 6, 2011

*** begin quote ***

Aug 6, 8:33 AM EDT

Afghan president: 31 Americans killed in crash

By SOLOMON MOORE

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A military helicopter crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan commandos, the country’s president said Saturday. An American official said it was apparently shot down, in the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war.

The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with rocket fire while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered in the province of Wardak late Friday. It said wreckage of the craft was strewn at the scene.

*** end quote ***

Sadly. It’s time to come home. Even before this. This just is another avoidable tragedy.

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QUOTE: “… simply because it is right.”

Saturday, August 6, 2011

“Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? Expediency asks the question: is it political? Vanity asks the question: is it popular? But conscience asks the question: is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor political, nor popular – but one must take it simply because it is right.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

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JOBFINDING: Texas trainer

Friday, August 5, 2011

We have another new opportunity in the Dallas area for a very large Fortune, global manufacturing company.

They are looking for a Technical Trainer to develop, train, and do continuous improvement for 4000-6000 employees world wide,

The focus will be on Business Objects(BOBJ) Oracle Data Bases, and Data Warehousing.

This is an exciting new job with a dynamic international company.

Please let me know if this is something for you or if you could recommend someone that we could present.

Thank you.

Dan

Dan Spencer, CPC

Senior Partner

ProFound International Search

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POLITICAL: Who is a libertarian?

Friday, August 5, 2011

http://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 ***

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INTERESTING: Is there a baseball rule for this situation?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

FROM LUDDITE

http://www.shoonsports.com/switch-hitter-vs-switch-pitcher-pat-venditte/

So what is the rule?

Wish Frau Reinke was here; she’d probably know!

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QUOTE: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Tiny Wisdom: When Good Times Come to an End

Jul 29, 2011 02:50 am | Lori Deschene

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss

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Maybe the Universe is sending me advice?

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TECHNOLOGY: An internet of things is crowded

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

http://www.networkworld.com/news/tech/2011/080211-80211-networks.html

Why Wi-Fi as we know it is in trouble
Today, 8/02/11, is the perfect time to contemplate the future of 802.11 networks
By Bill McFarland, VP of technology for Qualcomm Atheros, special to Network World
August 02, 2011 12:08 AM ET

*** begin quote ***

With 1 trillion-plus devices coming online soon, it’s imperative that the 802.11ac standard gets ratified, and devices are launched as soon as possible. 802.11n was slowed by vendor in-fighting. It’s critical to avoid such foot-dragging this time, since we are entering an era where Internet-connected devices will be responsible for everything from flood control in dams to airport runway safety.

*** end quote ***

An argument AGAINST cloud?

Even if you have connectivity, all the rich content will crowd you out.

Interesting.

And, the prediction is that it will become an internet of things.

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QUOTE: What u mean we

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

http://lewrockwell.com/orig12/berwick5.1.1.html

*** begin quote ***

So, the next time someone talks about some large group of collective people as “we” or take credit for events they never had anything to do with, be like Doug Stanhope and tell them, maybe “we” should just shut the f*#k up.

*** end quote ***

So there ain’t no “we”!

Like the old Lone Ranger joke, “what u mean we kimosabe”!

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JOBSEARCH: LinkedIn “rot”

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

What do you do when folks drift away? Their LinkedIn account is attached to a bouncing email. None of the mutual contacts know what happened. Strange? And, it’s happened more than once but less than a dozen. Social Networking version of PTSD?

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Add to the “rules”: Don’t accept a LinkedIn connection when someone is not using their own domain email account. Not an employer. Not yahoo, hotmail, or gmail.

Argh!

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POLITICAL: Why do I suspect that the taxpayer will be paying

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

http://www.impactlab.net/2011/08/01/banks-turning-to-bulldozing-foreclosed-homes/

August 1st, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Banks turn to bulldozing foreclosed homes
in: Business, Economy, Latest Trend

*** begin quote ***

Increasingly, it appears banks are turning to demolition teams instead of realtors to rid them of their least valuable repossessed homes. Last month, Bank of America announced plans to demolish 100 foreclosed homes in the Cleveland area. The land is then going to be donated back to the local government authorities. BofA says the recent donations in Cleveland are part of a larger plan to rid itself of its least saleable properties, many of which, according to a company spokesperson, are worth less than $10,000. BofA has already donated 100 homes in Detroit and 150 in Chicago, and may add as many as nine more cities by the end of the year.

*** end quote ***

Wow, what an interesting concept!

They get a write off for the donation. And, they don’t have to pay property taxes.

Argh!

Ouch!

What a waste of capital housing stock.

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INITIALISMS: Scamper

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

http://lifehacker.com/5824595/stimulate-creativity-with-the-scamper-mnemonic

Stimulate Creativity with the SCAMPER Mnemonic

*** begin quote ***

S = Substitute

C = Combine

A = Adapt

M = Magnify = Modify

P = Put to other uses

E = Eliminate

R = Rearrange = Reverse

*** end quote ***

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FUN: ex WalMart greeter

Monday, August 1, 2011

FROM FRAU’S HS CHUM (She’s evil!)

*** begin quote ***

So after landing my new job as a Wal-Mart greeter, a good find for many retirees, I lasted less than a day….

About two hours into my first day on the job a very loud, unattractive, mean-acting woman walked into the store with her two kids, yelling obscenities at them all the way through the entrance.

I said pleasantly, ‘Good morning and welcome to Walll-Mart. Nice children you have there. Are they twins?’

The ugly woman stopped yelling long enough to say, ‘Hell no, they ain’t twins. The oldest one’s 9, and the other one’s 7. Why the hell would you think they’re twins? Are you blind, or stupid?’

So I replied, ‘I’m neither blind nor stupid, Ma’am, I just couldn’t believe someone slept with you twice. Have a good day and thank you for shopping at Wall-Mart.’

My supervisor said I probably wasn’t cut out for this line of work…

*** end quote ***

ROFL!

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POLITICAL: Too-Big-To-Fail’ still

Monday, August 1, 2011

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/who-wants-to-be-too-big-to-fail

Who Wants To Be ‘Too-Big-To-Fail’?
Posted by Mark A. Calabria

*** begin quote ***

I’ve argued that the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill does not end “too-big-to-fail”, that is the belief that certain companies are implicitly backed by the government because policy-makers are unlikely to let said institutions actually fail. By naming some companies as ”systemically important” — as required by Dodd-Frank — the government is actually sending a signal as to who is likely to be bailed out.

*** end quote ***

What a sham. The Gooferment controls the “corporations” and visa versa.

The IRS can end “too big to fail” with one law from Congress.

“No corporation can have a balance sheet of more than 1T$”.

End of discussion.

Let the chips fall where they may.

No bailouts.

Ever!

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