GAVE THIS FEEDBACK TO APPLE. LET’S SEE WHO CARES. (My guess: No one.)
I have an obviously complex sync problem. The answer I’ve been given is move to a new account. The reason I went to mac was the reinstall blues with windoze. Seems like the same problem here. I’ve rated MAC as “Not Recommended” on my blog FWIW. And that won’t change as long as sync is broken.
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | 
NOTRECOMMENDED | Tagged: APPLE, NOTRECOMMENDED | 
Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.prisonplanet.com/dollar-plunges-after-un-call-to-ditch-greenback.html
UN committee calls for dumping US dollar…
*** begin quote ***
The dollar plunged today following a United Nations report which called for the greenback to be replaced as the global reserve currency by the International Monetary Fund’s special drawing rights (SDRs).
*** and ***
The dollar is being targeted for destruction because the financial terrorists who caused the economic collapse in the first place want to exploit the crisis in order to institute a new global currency issued by a global central bank.
*** end quote ***
(What side is George Sorros on? I bet he stands to make a pretty penny off this. He destroyed the Thai Baht, the British pound, and now is working on the US Dollar. Why don’t we have a Constitutional Gold and Silver currency?)
So why are we in the UN at all?
I’m not an isolationist, but have you seen who’s on their Human Rights Committee? Everyone who should be embarrassed at their presence! Argh!
We should withdraw our economic support. They want to dump the US dollar. Fine, we’ll help you start. We won’t give you any.
And where did the IMF get its start?
And, we should cut that nonsense off at the knees.
And, by the way, take your headquarters elsewhere. It’s disruptive. It’s corrupt. And, let someone else deal with their tin pot crack pot ideas. American kids trick or treat for UNICEF so that fat cats can get rich. Argh!
Get out of the UN now. Follow George’s dictum: NO entangling alliances!
It’s all part of that expansionist one world gooferment crap any way.
How does that Johnathan Martin line go: Makes no difference if I am ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or three hundred tyrants ten miles away. Or something like that.
<insert Google’s “memory”>
*** begin quote ***
Among the most famous of those witticisms was one Dr. Byles reportedly delivered on 8 March 1770, during the funeral for the first four victims of the Boston Massacre. Witnesses estimated that several thousand people participated in the processions that day, dwarfing even the ceremony for Christopher Seider. Watching this crowd, Byles is said to have asked a young companion:
which is better—to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away, or by three thousand tyrants not a mile away?
That remark even got into Mel Gibson’s mouth in the movie The Patriot. But how reliable is the quotation?
*** end quote ***
Movies do have the power to inspire one.
Argh!
Argh squared!
Argh cubed!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | NATIONAL | Tagged: foreign policy, NATIONAL | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
FROM ONE OF MY HIGH SCHOOL CHUMS
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=RobaJKGMMiE (N.B. ten minutes, SFW, in German)
*** begin quote ***
The following was produced as a commercial for a German heavy equipment manufacturer. You don’t want to be in the same marketplace with competitors like this.
The operator isn’t exactly a slouch either.
They didn’t tell us how they got it down
*** end quote ***
Very entertaining.
We, in the USA, have lost that “competitive feeling”.
Why did these guys do it? Who cares they did it.
I think it has to do with the feminization of our culture. Women’s rights has emasculated us. No one does big scary shit just for the sake of the adrenalin rush. Still still, be polite, don’t offend anyone, political correctness, graft, laziness, and corruption are the values praised today.
Argh!
We should have rebuilt the WTC in record time with three towers, the middle one being a little taller.
We should throw out all these “leaders” an get some Pattons, some Jesse Venturas, some Reagans. To inspire us.
We have a temporary advantage while the Arab countries fight with one hand behind their back (i.e., they suppress their women).
We need to eliminate the welfare / warfare state and throw open the borders to anyone who wants to come here to work. We need the energy.
Drill, nukes, as well as conservation and new technology.
We need honest money to make this all possible.
Most of all we need to take back our birthright as “not females”!
Argh!
# – # – #
<Yes, dear, put down the computer and finish the housework.>
Argh! Squared!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | INSPIRATIONAL, INTERESTING | Tagged: INNOVATION, INSPIRATIONAL | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Like the guy on the TV says: “Wealth Protection”. Gold has never been worth zero. Unlike the Zimbabwe dollar, the German pre-WW2 Mark, and countless other fiat currency (i.e., printing press printed paper that is only “money” because guys with guns say it is). Even the most wildly bullish tout like Kudlow, and “the every feeling is expressed” Orman, wouldn’t argue with 5 to 10% in gold. Due to the “interesting” numbers in the CFTC, the number of contracts outstanding, and the various derivatives around commodities, I’d suggest that bullion coins from a low cost / low overhead reputable dealer is the best way to have that investment. Call it Gooferment Insurance. I’d further suggest that you want “good delivery” where they put the coins in your hot little hands. Then you can put them in an interesting place (e.g., curtain rods; taped to the hidden in the wall side of your medicine chest, or (my personal favorite) inside some furniture that ain’t easy to move like a grandfather’s clock. (No fire risk. Gold doesn’t burn. Like paper money.) I don’t recommend burial because you, or your heirs, will forget where you stashed them. (And, for my fellow tin foil hats, the gooferment has ground penetrating radar.) :-) And, please, don’t even consider “numismatic coins” from ANYONE. (Overpriced misgraded and in some cases fakes and frauds. And, the Gooferment will seize them as quick as anything else if they’re desperate enough.) Remember FDR broke into bank vaults during the “bank holiday” for folks’ gold stashes.
imho ymmv faiwwypfi tanstafl!
# – # – #
From: APMEX News <news@apmex.com>
Date: July 1, 2010 6:28:53 PM EDT
To: @reinke.cc
Subject: APMEX – Gold Now Below $1,200 Per Ounce
Dear ferdinand,
TAKE ADVANTAGE – GOLD NOW BELOW $1,200 PER OUNCE!
APMEX has the largest selection of bullion products anywhere, and our customers are taking full advantage of this recent dip in prices. Join thousands of APMEX customers who have already taken advantage of this price reduction before our most popular inventory sells out. Three of the fastest moving products today at APMEX.com are:
2010 Gold American Eagles
2010 Silver American Eagles
2010 Gold Maple Leafs
Take advantage of the recent pull back in prices now before the next run in pricing occurs.
As you might expect, we have seen a huge increase in order volume today as a result of this consolidation of price and inventory is moving very quickly. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to save money at APMEX today.
This email was sent to by news@apmex.com.
Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.
APMEX | 226 Dean A. McGee Avenue | Oklahoma City | OK | 73102
# # # # #
2 Comments | GOLDBUG | Tagged: economic freedom | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2010/07/01/obamas-immigration-hypocrisy/
OBAMA’S IMMIGRATION HYPOCRISY
By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann
07.1.2010
*** begin quote ***
When Obama could have passed comprehensive immigration reform – when he still had 60 Senate Democrats – he didn’t lift a finger to push it. Now that he can’t pass it – it is too late in the year, he doesn’t have 60 votes, and many Democrats will defect – he aggressively pushes it in a national speech.
The opportunism and hypocrisy of his attempt to manipulate America’s Latinos into forgetting his previous inaction is transparent and obvious.
*** end quote ***
Dick Morris made an interesting point. When BHO44 had the majority in the Senate, he couldn’t be bothered with immigration reform. No that he can’t get it done, he wants to push it. Argh! Typical Chicago politician. He wants the political power from the fight about it. He can posture as the “immigration reformer” while painting his opponents into the corner as anti-immigrant anti-Latino. Voters are so stupid.
If I was the R’s, I’d immediately propose: eliminating all personal and corporate welfare and throwing open the “golden door”. We need imigrants who want to come here to work. I’d ask for a DNA swab, a fingerprint, a quick check for communicable diseases, and then immediately issue them a new combination visa, work permit, and tax id number. Welcome to America, the land of opportunity, and fat poor people. We want those people, we need those people, we can definitely handle those people.
At the same time, I’d end the drug war. (What does a drug dealer do when Walmart sells marijuana, crack, cocaine, and speed; all for the price of aspirin. I’m confident that they Walmart and the other Pharmacy Companies will do a far better job of controlling drug addiction that the Gooferment. Look at the business made out of weight reduction and smoking cessation.
(What will the Colombian Drug Lords do when WalMArt insists on low cost high quality “junk”? Take up tourism? And, what will the Taliban do in Afghanistan when WalMart doesn’t have to pay top dollar for their poppy plants? Go back to being a fourth world country? Argh!)
AND, we won’t have children die from “illegal drugs” of unknown strength and unknown quality. (Who’s body is it? Isn’t the decision what to put in it the ultimate expression of self-ownership.) (Given that youth like to rebel and do “cool” stuff, won’t making drugs “legal” take all the allure out of taking them? Kinda hard to envision yourself as a James Dean type rebel when you are in the queue at WalMart with Granny buying pot for her glaucoma!)
Pardon the non-violent offenders in Federal prisons. We could then close more than half the prisons. And focus on the really bad human beings who kill and hurt people.
And along with “fixing” (i.e., nuking) the drug laws, let’s eliminate the death penalty nationally. Aside from it not being cost effective, the gooferment should NEVER have the power to kill its citizens. I agree with Bill O’Reilly; Alaska sounds like a nice tropical resort for criminals. Create a place like the French Devil’s Island. No cruelty; just isolation of the truly dangerous.
And, let’s talk energy. France gets 80% of its electric power from nukes. They have a few national “standard designs”. If a company uses one of them, then there is expedited approvals. Now we need to import less oil.
Why does the Federal Gooferment have any role in the national electric grid? Sell it to the power companies.
Why does the Gooferment run airports? Sell them to the airlines. Why does the Gooferment run airport security? Turn it over to the airlines.
Suddenly we need a lot less gooferment workers! With bug salaries and big pensions.
And speaking about pensions! Why can’t we get out of the pension business completely.
Like any other fraud, we should prosecute any crime with the objective to make the victim whole. Restitution! Not incarceration or even rehabilitation. Let’s make sure that crime doesn’t pay.
The Gooferment should only be a referee; not a participant. And certainly not an operator. Gooferment skrules, gone. Clearly we need a 20 or 40 year transition plan.
Gooferment “social security” fraud, gone. Clearly, we need a fifty year transition plan.
Argh! There so much to do. Old Wall Street expression: When you’re in a hole, stop digging. We should not be creating more “holes” for future generation to dig themselves out of.
(Where do politicians, bureaucrats, and the elite send their children to school? Certainly not the “public school”! Argh!!)
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Political | Tagged: Gooferment | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Home » 2010 » 07 » 01 »
COLUMN: Can we put an end to corporate socialism already?
Thursday, July 1, 2010 | 12:49 p.m. CDT; updated 3:04 p.m. CDT, Thursday, July 1, 2010
BY George Kennedy
*** begin quote ***
New state employees, most of whom will earn less than $25,000 a year, will have to start contributing 4 percent of their salaries to their pension program, which has long been one of the benefits that compensate for low-paid careers.
*** end quote ***
Why do you have a Gooferment pension plan? Isn’t that socialism as well? Aren’t you in effect saying that people aren’t capable of managing their own money?
Maybe that 4% is more important to pay for something the individual values more than a “pension” sometime in the future.
Let’s not overlook that there are some “interesting” unintended consequences.
(1) What happens if the new employee doesn’t do the five years to get vested? Guess that poor slob made a bad bet.
(2) What happens if the Gooferment decides to pull the rug out from under them and changes the “law” so there’s no pension?
(3) What happens if the pension plan is underfunded? (Here in NJ the gooferment hasn’t funded the state pension plan in a decade and no one really knows what that means.)
(4) What happens if like CALPERS that investments don’t keep up with obligations?
(5) What happens if the poor slob dies the day before he retires? Day after? Like Social Security, it’s probably a bad bet.
(6) What happens if we have inflation? And our poor slob is retired on fixed income. Bad bet? (If he or she had a their OWN diversified investment portfolio, then they’d be capable of making some adjustment. In theory, portfolio income would go up to in some way compensate. The defined benefit of a pension plan means they are screwed.)
(7) What if when the poor slob retires, he wants his money to make a big purchase? A vacation home for cash. Buy into an assisted living. Or anything. What’s he do, go to JGWENTWORTH to sell his pension at a discount?
SO I think what you have is socialism at the expense of the low wage person. (Poor slob is intended to engender sympathy for some one who just has to shut up and take it.)
Along time ago, I talk to an AT&T pension actuary who explained how benefits were a huge win for the employer and a big loser for the employee. It’s never changed.
And don’t get me started on the Social Security Ponzi-like Fraud.
# – # – #
Upon reflection, the Employer could, as a condition of employment, negotiate that a suitable third party pension plan must be taken by all employees. So that no one retires on welfare. Wonder what the CEO and CFO would say? TO that I say, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | MONEY | Tagged: economic freedom | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
“In my business arena, Tax Preparation, Audit Representation and Bookkeeping, the customer is SELDOM right. They are in fact not Customers but Clients (in the same sense that Doctors of Medicine have Patients and not Customers). Everybody is a tax or accounting expert (your bartender, your barber, neighbor, co-worker, etc.), and they firmly believe the half truths they hear about on the TV News or read in the Tabloids (such as the NY Times). Why? Because what their other sources tell them is less painful than what I tell them. It is human nature. The most sensitive “nerve” in the human body is the one attached to the wallet and that is where I often have to do surgery. So I have to take control of the relationship with my Clients and educate them so they ask me first before they make a move. If they could be ALWAYS right then Turbotax would put me out of business instead of bringing me so many more Clients.”
By Roger Garay, CEO at On Line Bookkeeping & Tax Service Inc
# – # – #
Interesting, I’ll have to reflect upon the difference between Customer / Patient, Customer / Client, and Payer / Client.
Interesting about “The most sensitive “nerve” in the human body is the one attached to the wallet”. I disagree. It may be surpassed by the one attached to their perception of what is theirs (e.g., failing to let some one over in traffic; cutting in the queue ahead of others; (or the one that I do all the time) failure to merge early to get ahead. (Yeah, if I do pass the “final judgement”, vel non, then I’ll be doing a lot of time in Purgatory for my venial sins. I got a lot of them to atone for. Sigh!) And, another nerve is the one attached to their self-image.
Argh!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Quotes | Tagged: knowledge, Quotes, wisdom | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.schoolsucksproject.com/
*** begin quote ***
“School sucks”…is perhaps the most common phrase students use to describe their feelings about public education. Yet this seemingly bitter and reductive slogan is actually quite clever, and perhaps the most accurate and astute synopsis of the system I’ve ever heard. Here’s why:
1. The twelve-year process of an American public education has a dramatic effect on the mind of a child. When we first enter school at age six, many of our best personal attributes are already in place. We are curious, innovative, unique and creative in ways that we will rarely be able to replicate throughout the rest of our lives. But over time, school sucks those essential attributes out of too many of us…and replaces them with predictability, obedience and indifference.
2. The public school system sucks off the productive capacity of hard-working people. In other words, whether public education succeeds or fails (spoiler alert: it fails) at providing real education to the public, the cost goes up every year.
For too long, this sentiment that “school sucks” has existed only as a silent thought, a quiet mumble or a scribble on a notebook. It’s time to project this idea out into the mainstream, and to show how true it actually is. The path towards solutions begins there.
*** end quote ***
Absolutely agree.
I’ve ranted about “gooferment skool” on my blog for a while.
I can’t think of a “more wronger” thing in our society.
Hope this project succeeds!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Tagged: Education, freedom | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Leave a Comment » | FUN | Tagged: INSPIRATIONAL | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
… calling to wish a happy birthday.
Good thing it didn’t wake up the house lady.
Argh!
How stupid are people? Technologists?
And where were they last year?
Argh squared!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Economics, Human Factors, stupidity | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
CAPITALJUNE 17, 2010
Rethinking Part of the American Dream
By DAVID WESSEL
*** begin quote ***
In hard-hit Las Vegas, nearly 59% of households own their homes, but only 15% to 19% of households own a home in which they have any equity left.
For many, the American dream of home ownership turned into a nightmare of debt and foreclosure. Some people should rent.
As late as the 1930s, a U.S. mortgage was generally a loan for three to five years, at which time the borrower had to pay it off. Then the government fostered the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage—and eventually the 30—and the concept that the homeowner would pay off principal in monthly installments.
*** end quote ***
Argh!
Several thoughts occur to me here:
① 15 to 20% of homes left with the owners having equity? All those senior citizens who bought retirement homes? That’s astounding.
② Talk about malinvestment. (That’s Austrian economics term. See below.) Detroit, Flint, and Gary are destroying houses to avoid providing gooferment services. We as a society have our wealth destroyed by such action. Are there no homeles there?
③ It would seem that the FTC and the TREASURY / FED / SEC could stop this disaster anytime they want to. Regulations of minimum down payment like stock margins. Rules about honest disclosure. Limits on what banks can resell as “securities”. AND, the biggest rule, the originator get stuck with defaults! No more package it and forget it. (But then we’d see just how crappy the economy is. And, how many banks would be insolvent. It’s in the Gooferment’s interest to keep putting lipstick on the is pig. Pucker up! Guess who’s going ot have to kiss it?
④ I remember reading that Freddy and Fannie make the economy more uncompetitive and more “rigid” in that owning a home meant the workforce could not adapt to new opportunities in new locations. A high percentage of folks renting means they can move more quickly. Didn’t the Mayans force migrations by burning the village and forcing them to move hundreds of miles? Is this our modern equvalent?
⑤ Speaking of Freddy and Fannie, I see where bailing them out is going to be the “mother of all bailouts”. Shouldn’t we put them out of their, and our, misery? Time for a Constitutional Amendment banning all GSEs! (Gooferment Sponsored Entities)
⑥ Why don’t we bring back the 30 year Treasury Bond as a method of financing the deficit and easing the pain we are facing? Or is the GOoferment afraid of what that 30 year rate will be?
⑦ On HGTV, there are a lot of home buyers, some first timers, who are buying big ticket homes with nearly nothing down. Several hundred thousand dollar mortgages and they need “mortgage assistance”, seller paid closing costs, and even the tax credits to make the numbers work at all. And, in the cases of two income “families” (i.e., DINKs), one paycheck is completely going to the mortgage. Isn’t that a recipe for default in a job loss scenario?
⑧ Perhaps, it’s time for multi-generational households (i.e., grandma and grandpa buy with their retirement money; mom, dad, and the grandkids bunk in)? Wasn’t that the model before Social Security allowed Grandparents to escape to Florida? Makes the Grandparent able to dodge the nursing home.
⑨ Interesting that the Wall Street Journal paywall isn’t very encompassing.
# – # – #
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinvestment
“Panics do not destroy capital; they merely reveal the extent to which it has been destroyed by its betrayal into hopelessly unproductive works.”
— John Mills, December 11, 1867, on Credit Cycles and the Origin of Commercial Panics
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | INTERESTING | Tagged: FRAUD, Gooferment, investments, Meme, Moral Hazard | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
A OPEN EMAIL TO LEW ROCKWELL, A CHAMPION OF AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS
Dear Mister Lew:
Re: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malinvestment
Perhaps you could (if you are so moved), or one of your bright interns (you exploiter of the youth), could write an appropriate text for Wikipedia that truly reflect such an important word.
I’d do it, but I’m just a fat old white guy injineer. Remember the sources of my education: I’m just a fat old white guy injineer with: Law “degree” from watching Judge Judy, Medical “degree” from watching Doctor Phil, Building “degree” from watching “Holmes on Homes”, and Investing “degree” from reading about Bernie Made-off.
To which I’ll probably add ekenomicks from reading Mises and Rockwell. Yes, in college, (manhattan college manhattan dot edu), in my economics course, “Human Action” was on the supplemental reading list. And I read it then. Didn’t understand most of it. Surprised? Don’t be; in theology, we had to read a translation of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, Bhagavad Gita, and “Essays in Zen Budhism”. I hated that class; the Professor had a thing for “God and the Ways of Knowing” by Jean Danielou. Even four decades later, I can remember him babbling on about good old Danny Lou. But, those were the days. When Universities were truly about imparting wisdom regardless of the source. Not like today when it’s ersatz “whizdumb”.
In any event, I commend the link for your attention.
fjohn aka alibertarianin08824
behind enemy lines in Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee
# # # # #
1 Comment | MONEY | Tagged: economic, economic freedom, Economics, Education, Libertarian, LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
*** begin quote ***
Hello, welcome to a little thing called 750 Words
I’ve long been inspired by an idea I first learned about in The Artist’s Way called morning pages. Morning pages are three pages of writing done every day, typically encouraged to be in “long hand”, typically done in the morning, that can be about anything and everything that comes into your head. It’s about getting it all out of your head, and is not supposed to be edited or censored in any way. The idea is that if you can get in the habit of writing three pages a day, that it will help clear your mind and get the ideas flowing for the rest of the day. Unlike many of the other exercises in that book, I found that this one actually worked and was really really useful.
*** end quote ***
Amusing little site that has a way of getting under your skin.
I’m using it to write my course and my next book.
It sort of fits my early morning persona.
Maybe like Sudoku, it too will ward of the dreaded Alzheimer’s?
No one can see what you write but you can share the automated analysis of that writing.
See me at: http://750words.com/entries/share/174852
ROFL, yeah, I’m that nuts!
Now all I need is a tshirt declaring that I’m an ITSJ and a fat old white guy injineer. (But then I repeat myself.)
LOL!
# # # # #
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | RECOMMENDED, SERVICE | Tagged: Human Factors, Meme, RECOMMENDED | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/rabbis-say-kagan-not-a-kosher-supreme-court-nominee/
Rabbis say Kagan not a ‘kosher’ Supreme Court nominee
*** begin quote ***
Alexandria, Va., Jun 27, 2010 / 06:13 pm (CNA).- According to the National Rabbinical Alliance and its more than 850 Orthodox Jewish members, Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is not “kosher,” or fit to serve, on the court.
*** and ***
Spokesman for the Rabbinical Alliance, Rabbi Yehuda Levin, told Cybercast News Service that most groups are happy when “one of their own” is nominated to such a prestigious position. “A great deal has been made about the fact that she would be the second Jewish woman on the court,” Levin noted. “We want to signal to people across the country that we take no pride in this.”
*** end quote ***
Where is the statement by the Catholic Church in the USA that they oppose the nomination?
Where is the public outrage that this Socialist President will appoint an obviously biased “justice”?
Why can’t we see all the papers that she produced as Clinton’s Solicitor General?
Sorry, but I don’t feel very “represented” in this so called representative government!
Argh!
And, she’s “young”. Can’t BHO44 appoint a nice old judge? Say 75! At least if it’s a mistake we won’t have to suffer very long!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Tagged: Abortion, Obama | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Sonia Sotomayor testified that the RKBA was an individual right, then proceeded to vote against it.
Kagan will do the same thing.
Yesterday’s 5-4 is hanging on by a thread!
How dumb are these Senators?
Lied to their face to be approved and then do what you want with a lifetime appointment.
Argh!
Let’s make a rule that SCOTUS nominees must be 75 years old. Sort of a natural form of term limits.
Or, at least they have to be a judge or not a lawyer.
Argh!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Tagged: RKBA | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://jamesfetzer.blogspot.com/2010/06/jfk-and-rfk-plots-that-killed-them.html
TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010
JFK and RFK: The Plots that Killed Them, The Patsies that Didn’t
James Fetzer
Voltairenet
13 June 2010
*** begin quote ***
The demise of the “magic bullet” alone establishes conspiracy.
*** end quote ***
It’s hard not to have a tin foil hat when you read these “pages” that blow the lid. To me, even as a kid, that crappy gun that Oswald purportedly used was prima facie evidence that the story didn’t wash. Now that I know even more about guns, it’d have to be a miracle.
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | TINFOILHAT | Tagged: JFK | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Argh!
I sent a text message from the Verizon web site. (Yes, I was signed in despite the website’s design flaws about sign in.)
It gave me a response.
So I went merely on my way.
Never received a response. So I “texted” again from my cell this time.
I get a return phone call from the recipient asking me “if I’ve lost my mind”.
They received it and replied.
So, now I go check on the website and it’s like “what text message”.
If I have a tracking number AND the recipient, it can check.
Argh!
I don’t have the 27 digit tracking number. (OK, I made that part up about 27 digit. But it’s a lot.)
And, apparently it doesn’t log it anywhere on the machine. Or, warn you that you’re goign to need it.
But where did the response go?
Argh! Squared!!
Verizon — not recommended. (Not that any of the others are much better from what I understand.)
Argh! Cubed!!!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Tagged: Not Recommended | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdZ5LCNmvFQ&feature=player_embedded
June 26, 2010
Calm Judge Napolitano vs. Excitable Shep Smith
# – # – #
Interesting the 75$M liability cap allowed BP to proceed without insurance. Interesting that the Gooferment predicted that spilled oil wouldn’t reach the shore. Interesting that the Gooferment immunizes itself and its bureaucrats from being held responsibile.
Argh!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | INTERESTING | Tagged: Gooferment | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.docuticker.com/?p=35251
Saving Billions Of Dollars—And Physicians’ Time—By Streamlining Billing Practices
Source: Health Affairs
*** begin quote ***
The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive, and inefficient. Physicians end up using nearly 12 percent of their net patient service revenue to cover the costs of excessive administrative complexity. A single transparent set of payment rules for multiple payers, a single claim form, and standard rules of submission, among other innovations, would reduce the burden on the billing offices of physician organizations. On a national scale, our hypothetical modeling of these changes would translate into $7 billion of savings annually for physician and clinical services. Four hours of professional time per physician and five hours of practice support staff time could be saved each week.
*** end quote ***
A uniform billing process. Now that’s a good idea. Even statewide that could be a winner. But why does it have to be imposed. Surely all involved can see how this would benefit the industry. I smell the government with politicians and bureaucrats all wanting to claim credit.
Doesn’t medicare have such a thing?
Seems like Frodo’s ring. One ring to rule them all?
# – # – #
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | NATIONAL | Tagged: Health Care, NATIONAL | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/06/out-of-work-out-of-luck.html
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Out of work? Out of luck
*** begin quote ***
We are facing the worst employment crisis in memory, but Senate Republicans insist on playing political games with jobless benefits, forcing the Democrats into a counterproductive slashing of the bill and then still voting as a block against it.
*** end quote ***
Correct me if I am wrong, BUT don’t the D’s control the Prez, the Senate, AND the House? They can literally send ALL the R’s home and nothing should stop them. Sorry, but you can NOT condemn the R’s for the lack of what you call progress on any issue.
Personally, as hard as it sounds, the Gooferment can’t spend us back to prosperity. Nor can they hand out unemployment “benefits” by borrowing from the Chinese and indenturing future generations.
Sorry, but folks are going to be hurt, take it on the chin, and even take big losses. For that we have to blame the politicians and bureaucrats. They were either asleep at the helm or corruptly blinded to the truth.
Sad to say but there is enough blame to go around. D’s or R’s. No one escapes the judgment of history.
That being said. We need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.
How about ending the drug war, pardon all the non-violent drug offenders, clase down the FDA, and send all the lobbyists home? Use the savings to pay down the debt.
How about adopting GW’s (George Washington’s foreign policy as pronounced by Ron Paul) by just bringing the troops home. Use the savings to pay down the debt.
How about getting the Federal Gooferment out of all sorts of things: the Agriculture Department, the Education Department, and Commerce, Energy, Transportation. Use the savings to pay down the debt.
We’d be back to “normal” in no time!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | GOVEROTRAGEOUS | Tagged: economic freedom | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
(1) I experienced an outage Verizon Wireless Broad Band (VWBBie) network from 2230 Saturday 26 Jun 10 until 0547 Sunday 27 Jun 10. please explain?
(2) When was 24 hour support eliminated?
(3) Why does the 914 error point me to a non-working number?
Argh!
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Tagged: Not Recommended | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2010/06/treating_people_like.html
June 13, 2010
Treating people like animals
*** begin quote ***
Cruelty to animals has been implicitly recognised as being a sign of behavioural problems in children for some time as it forms part of the diagnosis of conduct disorder, characterised somewhat glibly as ‘kiddie psychopathy’.
However, research has been slowly accumulating over the last few years that animal cruelty is related to lower levels of general empathy and is a signal that the person concerned may have abusive tendencies that extend towards other people.
*** end quote ***
Now, regular readers know I have very little use for the Gooferment. That being stipulated, there is really ONLY ONE legitimate function.
Protect rights!
Here’s a legitimate function and story about how it should be expanded due to scientific evidence behind it.
Animal cruelty appears to signal cruelty to humans.
So, after conviction on animal cruelty charges, there needs to be an investigation into any abuse of any human within their “reach”. As convicts, they need to be carefully “watched” for abuse. With zero tolerance for transgressions.
Like the famous fable of “the scorpion and the frog”, and the line “that’s what scorpions do”, these folks are abusers and need to be watched. Like pet rattlesnake, eventually a bite will occur.
There’s no excuse for not preventing abuse. And, everyone should be very sensitive and alert to the possibility.
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Tagged: Morality, OUTAGE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://portabilitypolicy.org/index.html
Your Portability Policy
*** begin quote ***
We have provided a set of questions and a few sample portability policies to help you get started. These are not intended to be comprehensive, and we expect that they will evolve over time. You are encouraged to add whatever topics or issues will help your users make informed decisions.
We aren’t trying to promote any particular policy, business model or technology. Rather, we hope to create standards that simplify communication and help customers make informed choices.
*** end quote ***
I have my own personal portability policy.
If I can’t get “my” data out then the site, service, or software has to have a huge value proposition.
Be nice if all sites adopted this as a standard. Even if it’s a closed island like Facebook, it would be valuable to know that upfront.
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: freedom | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
What’s wrong with the “security” people at the UK Mail Online?
They don’t set expectations and they don’t know that a password is a shared secret?
Argh!
I wanted to make a comment on one of their stories. Doesn’t matter which one. But here’s the saga.
Comment box asks for Name and Location.
OK, that’s not bad.
Then, to get it published, you have to give them and email and a password.
OK, that’s not too bad. (I have a page of one time passwords. But how many folks do? Most just reuse the same one.)
Then, it doesn’t like my password length. (I like 12; it wants 5 to 10. Do you think you might mention that on the page that asks for it. I feel like I’m playing gotcha!)
OK, that’s not too too bad. (I drop the last two characters to get to 10. No big deal!)
Then, it doesn’t like that I have a special character in it. (I like 26 letters, upper and lower and special characters at random — 26 lc + 26 uc + 10 digits + 4 specials = 66 ** 12. I always score strong on most password ratings.)
OK, that’s not too too too bad. I drop the special characters and readd the two characters I dropped before.
Then, it says we’ll email you a link.
OK, that’s not too too too too bad. I’ll just wait for the link.
Then, I find the email after a short wait — hey it’s a long way across the pond. It has the huge multiline link to click. But being a member of the “I NEVER click email links” church, I faithfully copy the link to my plain text editor, cntl a, cntl c, and got my browser and paste.
OK, that’s not too too too too too bad. I get a message that they’ll post my comment if they see fit.
Then, I read the rest of the email message and I find my password, my “shared secret”, my “carefully generated but mangled by their rules” password in the clear for any system or mail administrator to read. With the subject, “Welcome to Mail Online”. (Not to hard to id that!)
OK, that’s bad.
How many “security rules” did they break? How many “human factors design principles” did they break?
Now I have to go back and change my password, just incase someone wants to post something under my name.
Ok, that’s very bad.
I could ramble on to make more lines with “very very very bad”. But I’m bored with the topic. And, my ADADHDD is kicking in.
# # # # #
Begin forwarded message:
From: communication@mailonline.co.uk
Date: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
To: YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Subject: Welcome to MailOnline
Thank you for registering with MailOnline
To authorise your new user account please click on the link below.
If comments on this article are unmoderated, your comment should appear shortly. If comments on this article are pre-moderated then your comment will be checked in advance and will be queued for checking. We receive thousands of contributions every day so please be patient. If your comment does not appear, this may be due to the volume we receive or your content.
To find out if comments under a particular article are pre-moderated or not, look just above the comments to see if they are “pre-moderated” or “unmoderated”.
If the above link does not work, copy and paste the link into the address box on your web browser.
Your log in details are shown below:
Email: YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Password: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
You can update your details at any time – just tick the box marked ‘Update my details’ next time you log in.
Terms: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/terms.html
House Rules: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/house_rules.html
Privacy Policy: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/privacy.html
Contact: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/contactus.html
mailonline.co.uk
# – # – #
*** begin quote ***
Thank you!
Thank you for adding a comment to MailOnline.
Comments on this article are being checked in advance. We aim to publish as many as possible. MailOnline receives thousands of comments every day, so please be patient. If your comments do not appear, this may be due to the volume we receive or due to the content of your comment.
Why not get the latest News from Mail Online delivered via RSS?
*** end quote ***
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Tagged: INFOSEC | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
YESTERDAY I went to a graduation. Entertaining! The “beautiful” children, the happy relatives, the school staff, and at least two politicians.
(The children were all “beautiful”. Different shapes and sizes. Some dressed up; some down. One girl has new high heeled … … sneakers! Another wore what had to be five inch stilettos that were obviously new and she could barely walk in them. One guy had old sneaks; another plaid beach shoes. Funny! They were “beautiful” because they were almost all smiling. Full of joy. Enthusiasm. Party time. Sigh!)
They showed a photo slide show of the school and graduates. No words just music.
(A technical criticism of the “show”. This is VoTech with an “Arts” track. The music was ill-timed. Or mixed. The audience got restless when the music came to a natural end; the photos kept going. Some music rejoined the “show”. When the pictures began to repeat. The show was stopped. And we were left looking at the Windoze logo. The “show” wasn’t run by a student. <Unless students are very old.> So it was evidence of poor execution.)
The next “rudeness”was to leave the audience sitting there, looking around, wondering what was going to happen. A good ten minutes — I timed it — and there were at least five hundred people sitting there. What a waste. It was rude.
So finally some one got their act together, and the graduates paraded in. It was more like a dual column single file dash to the chairs. With gaps and bunches worthy of any freeway. As a vet of many parades, graduations, processions, it was shocking. And, I understand there were at least three practices. (What did they practice?)
Any way, then came the Pledge of Allegiance …
(The Pledge is un-American. Written by an American Nazi who was a flag salesman. TOo indoctrinate school children and make himself a bunch of easy sales. The whole American education system is designed to create dummies; cannon fodder for the Army and the factories. All designed to be led by the Elite! Argh!)
… which always makes me think. But then what did you expect from a gooferment school? Sure didn’t expect them to sing a hymm. However, they are a gooferment school so you have to expect some gooferment worship to be built in.
Then we got to the speeches. (Oh, joy, oh joy!)
First up was an old Board Of Ed fellow. He was almost impossible to hear. Can’t remember anything he said of value.
(How much in taxes have I paid for this school? The taxpayers got weenied. It’s supposed to be a theater. With acoustics and a sound system that stinks. I’d like to follow the money on that one.)
Next up was the politician from the Middlesex County Freeholders. She was at least audible. Unfortunately. (I really wish I had the text of the remarks so that I could adequately report what WAS said. As opposed to what I think I heard.) I heard some praise for the parents. With an assertion about what was the most important in a child’s development. I guess it was the parent’s willingness to send the children to school. (That’s what I think I heard!) Of course, I disagree. … …
(I’d say the most important single factor in a child’s development is really two co-factors. Parents aren’t a single homogeneous unit; they are a man and a woman seeking to propagate the species. — OK, that’s a side effect of the sought after activity — It is the Mom’s unconditional love for the child combined with the Father’s unconditional devotion to the child’s needs. Different, very different, but both essential. Schooling is way down on the list. And, gooferment supplied schooling is a GIANT negative imho.)
… … but that aside, I heard a lot of praise for teachers. Probably, three times as much time spent praising the teachers as the parents and students combined. I attributed it to a campaign speech for the Teacher’s Union support. The whole speech wasn’t overly long. All that was missing was to say “Vote Democratic” in thanks for your child’s education. As if there would be no education without the gooferment.
Moving on to the Salutatorian’s speech. The young lady was obviously nervous. And, we had the lousy acoustics and the lousy sound system, it was hard to hear. What I did hear sounded good. (My criticism was for the school’s bureaucrats for not having enough practice. She engaged in some banter with her mom sitting in front of us which was … … unseemly. They should have coached her to speak up and not to rush.) Again, I have no text so I can’t really comment on what she said. (I wonder if the graduate could even hear her since they didn’t seem to react.)
Moving on to the Valedictorian’s speech. The young lady was not obviously nervous, but was watching the audience for feedback. She spoke well, despite the lousy conditions. She made some good points about doing one’s best at all times. Again don’t have the text. But was able to hear most of her remarks. (Again not a lot of reaction from the graduates.)
Then, was the obligatory diploma hand out. (More on that later.)
Flip the tassels and march out.
Sigh!
After that it was a disorganized Chinese fire drill. From what I understand the handouts were blanks. The now graduate had to go to a room and find their real ones. (Strange. Disorganized. And chaotic. Why am I not shocked at a gooferment process being so.)
So, upon reflection, I’d have like to have made a speech to the graduates.
*** begin quote ***
I’d like to give you my thoughts on this special day. 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) develop a second business or avocation – under the radar – start small part-time; (7) a large will-maintained network of people who can “help” you; (8) buy assets that hold their value over time; and (9) emulate the Amish and Mormons for their sense of community, simple thrifty living, and true to core values. Remember the sources of my education: I’m just a fat old white guy injineer with: Law “degree” from watching Judge Judy, Medical “degree” from watching Doctor Phil, Building “degree” from watching “Holmes on Homes”, and Investing “degree” from reading about Bernie Made-off. I wish you the best. May your opportunities be huge, your difficulties minuscule. And, may you remember kindly the old loon who thought you might listen and benefit from his experiences.
*** end quote ***
All I could think about when the principal mumbled something about going on to: a job, higher education, or service in the military. Was he left out “McDonalds and Wahwah if you’re lucky”.
Think that’s too harsh.
Remember that In the United States, 8 million jobs were lost — most of these jobs will never return. And, any “good jobs” are being exported if at all possible. And, boys are clearly falling behind girls in both educational achievement and aspiration. This pattern has vast implications for marital prospects, since women express a strong preference to marry a man of equal or greater educational and professional potential. The collapse of the marriage culture within the working class means poverty in future children’s lives.
It’s the first generation that will have to settle for a lower standard of living than their parents.
And, they are going to be saddled with a permanent recession / depression economy like Japan’s two “Lost Decades”. Add to that debt and unfunded liabilities that they will have to come to terms with. And, it’s not going to be good times. (Unless we old fogies slash the gooferment back to circa 1790 – 1830 Constitutional limits. Argh!)
Instead I wrote “my” graduate this email:
*** begin quote ***
May I suggest that you read this?
Too bad you couldn’t have heard this instead of what you did hear. You did hear it; didn’t you? I wish I had a transcript to blog about. Argh! Sorry, but imho you didn’t get the best of inspiration.
BUTT (there’s always a big but) maybe you can take a lesson from the message’s text. (I have!) I thought this was excellent. Wish I’d heard it at any of my graduations or any that I’ve attended; maybe some of it might have sunk in.
It’s short. In addition to being good.
*** end quote ***
http://www.businessinsider.com/we-are-what-we-choose-2010-6
*** begin quote ***
I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story. Thank you and good luck!
*** end quote ***
# # # # #
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Tagged: Education, Gooferment, Human Factors | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
http://www.tidewaternews.com/news/2010/jun/12/extremist-libertarianism/
Extremist libertarianism By Steve Stewart | Tidewater News Published Saturday, June 12, 2010 Steve Stewart is publisher of The Tidewater News. His e-mail address is steve.stewart@tidewaternews.com
*** begin quote ***
If an adult chooses not to wear a life jacket — or a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet — that’s one thing. He is old enough to weigh the risks and make a decision. It’s his life. An 8-year-old kid isn’t equipped to make that decision. When a reckless parent doesn’t see fit to take a simple step that will save a kid from drowning, I have no problem with the state saying he must.
Libertarian instincts aside, I disagree with Pollard. The collective wisdom of society does occasionally trump the not-so-common sense of an individual. In such cases, there oughta be a law.
*** end quote ***
The death of child is tragic. The unnecessary death is even more so.
That being said, we don’t worry about the preventable deaths of children in war, collateral damage, boycotts, embargoes, aboortion, the war against (some) drugs, poverty, swimming pools, car accidents, DWI, bathtubs, and … the ultimate killers … pais of water in the home!
(Before you say I’m absurd, please look up the most frequent cause of accidental drownings.)
SO what we have here is the political class saying they know better how to raise your child. We’ve already established that there is no EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE of a problem, no evidence that this law will solve more problems than it corrects, nor any evidence that the “law” would have any practical impact at all.
Now I understand that in the Declaration of Independence, “we”, (as if there was such a thing as “we”), assert that there is “an inalienable right to life”. (Isn’t it amusing when you quote their own documents back to the Statists and Socialists?) We have never agreed on when those “inalienable rights” inure to the “person”.
Is the legislator trying to state an answer to that question by preempting parental decision making?
The busybody politicians and bureaucrats are trying to run everything. With the fatal conceit. What did Thomas Sowell call it. “Conceit of the Anointed” Or Walter Williams. “The bottom line is that the idea that government bureaucrats have enough knowledge to manage an economy well is the height of conceit — what Nobel Laureate Friedrich Hayek called the “fatal conceit.” I’d call it the “conceit of the elite” that they would know better how to run your life than you do. With all their fancy “laws” (not like natural Laws), rules, regulations, diktats, or no-nos. And stuff still happens,
When you try to force someone to do something, even something that they would have wanted to do if left alone, they rebel. Because, instinctively, in their DNA, they “know” where that leads to: being a slave, mistreatment, and eventually the death camps. That’s why calling someone a Nazi is such a powerful slur. Like racist. Because you can IMMEDIATELY associate a picture with a label. And, we all know where it ends.
So, this politician tries to mandate “life jackets” for kids and we can trace it to its logical conclusion killing children in Auschwitz. May sound far fetched, but to me it’s as logical an outcome as any chemical reaction, the drips that cause stalactites and stalagmites. (Tites are tight to the ceiling) Or ants building a mound.
Drip, drip, drip. We lose out freedom. As Guliver is tied down thread by thread. No single drip, no single thread, no single “law” is enough to fight about. Like a parasite in a host, slowly eating it to death.
So the answer to every new intrusion, must be a firm “No”. “Never”. “Buzz off”.
“but it’s for the children”?
Well how about all these other “for the children” items that you don’t seem to care about.
Argh!
Take your gooferment off our liberty!
“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” — Robert A. Heinlein
# # # # #
2 Comments | LIBERTY | Tagged: freedom, LIBERTY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
-
-
FJohn Reinke
Consultant at Technology Legacies LLC
Advisor, Computer Governance Committee at Manhattan College
Editor / Publisher at Jasper Jottings
Greater New York City Area
JJ Positraction JJ Endnotes Downsize DC
Philosophy of Liberty
I have NOT received any gagged governmental information requests
Reinke Faces Life 
You must be logged in to post a comment.