JOBSEARCH: Build An Alumni Network

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1609743

Build An Alumni Network by fjohn reinke

As an “old alumni”, I’ve learned the value of “networking”. College alumni have an easy natural way of building one. Unfortunately, few people realize the need for it.

Even fewer people can define what “networking” is, or the objectives of it. Everyone can tell you what the want out of it; instantly! Everyone wants to “network” when they are out of work. Everyone wants a new or better job from “networking”. Everyone wants. Nobody understands about “helping, before being helped”.

I personally believe that “networking” is NOT some open ended wishy washy ‘connect to everyone’ of Facebook or LinkedIn. Or even worse: Myspace or Plaxo. I’m an attendee at the “church” of networking is a “structured activity”. I particularly like Lucht’s definition of “networking” as a formal meeting. In counseling my “turkeys” (i.e., out of work executives), I structure it as: a five minute howdy, five minutes about listening to the target, five minutes for the “networker” to describe their search or need, ten minutes to listen to the target give their wisdom, and five minutes to extract two more names. Input one name; output two names. And, another “listen station” is enable to alert you to opportunities.

But how do you get to that point?

If the predecessor activity is “first help, then be helped”, how does one know who to help? You have to “seed the field”. There’s where Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Plaxo, or anything else can be useful. It allows you to connect with people easily and casually. So the model is: “Seed the field”, “First help, then be helped”, and then “Use structured networking meetings to seek help”.

At no time in our lives are we able to “seed the field” than in our college days. Even after being out for a while, one can still recapture the “seeding”. I always thought “alumni” was a great way to setup a granfalloon — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granfalloon — strange idea. A very important concept in “job search”. You can use your “alumni” connection to create a granfalloon. That will allow you to know who needs help. Of course, know that you have to help. But that’s usually the easiest part. Then, after helping, you have a person ready to help you when you need it.

So, we have moved the problem back to “seed the field”. Does your school have a vibrant alumni society? Most schools have something. Unfortunately that “something” is organized around raising money for the school in the form of alumni donations. That doesn’t necessarily help the alumni. Services are all oriented to satisfy a different master. That’s really perfect for the person who wants to “seed the field”. A Yahoo or Google group, a free WordPress blog, or such can form the nucleus of an alumni news service. “Seeding this particular field” is a small effort in three areas: Identify the alumni in the news, collect alumni email addresses, and operate a small daily news cycle. Sounds like a lot of work, but it really isn’t today.

Google news has the ability to present links that satisfy the news requirement. Let say that an alumni of “Ye Olde University” want to “do” this. Dashing to the free, and unequaled wordpressdotcom site, this alum creates a blog called “TheGreatUnwashedAlumsOfYeOldeUniversity”. (Free!) Then, this alum goes to Google news and searches for “Ye Olde University”. This alum can then request email or an rss feed. Then, check the news about and for alumni. Copy news from the source to the blog and post. Zip over to Legacy, the obituary site, and do the same thing. You’re now a font of news and information for your fellow alums.

As time permits, you identify your fellow alumni. And, invite them to read your blog. Capture demographic info as you can in a spreadsheet or document. Name, Email, Class Year, DOB, Address, Phone, and other background data. Try to categorize their characteristics – doctor, lawyer, indian chief, teacher, finance, pharma, etc. etc. Geography. Organizations. Whatever you can. Finally be sure you ask them how you can help them? Setup a plan to “ping” them every so often, quarterly, but at least yearly. Use Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Plaxo, Cardscan, or anything you can think of to find and connect. Each connect can be reported in your blog as an “update”. Note: Do NOT post email addresses, phone numbers, or street addresses in the blog. Spammers and scammers abound. Become the “Paul Revere” connector that Malcom Gadswell describes in his books. While there is a good reason not to post this information, it does allow you to be the “clearing house”. Just report that you heard from “Jones, Joe (Class of XYZ)” and some further information if you have it.

So, you now have a field being “seeded” for your future use.

Use this as input to “First help; then seek help”. Try to “help” everyone you can. Match needs with resources. Collect information about your fellow alums. It will snowball quickly. When time comes for you to ask for help, you’ll have a field of “plants” ready for harvest.

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HARDWARE: Amazon’s Kindle; definitely not recommended

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/14/kindle-owners-start.html

Kindle owners start to lose text-to-speech on purchased books — how do DRM-free Kindle books work?
Posted by Cory Doctorow, May 14, 2009 5:22 AM

*** begin quote ***

I’m specifically interested because Amazon has announced a “DRM-free” version of the Kindle format and I’d love to sell my books on the platform if it’s really DRM-free. To that end, I’ve put three questions to Amazon:

1. Is there anything in the Kindle EULA that prohibits moving your purchased DRM-free Kindle files to a competing device?

2. Is there anything in the Kindle file-format (such as a patent or trade-secret) that would make it illegal to produce a Kindle format-reader or converter for a competing device?

3. What flags are in the DRM-free Kindle format, and can a DRM-free Kindle file have its features revoked after you purchase it?

*** end quote ***

Consistent with my irrational hatred for DRM. I wouldn’t by a Kindle if it was free.

Because sooner or later: DRM will bite you in the A double Q or some type of error (i.e., network, hardware, software, data) will lock you out.

Sorry, been burnt too many times.

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HARDWARE: Verizon MiFi 2200 Mobile Wifi Hotspot

Monday, May 18, 2009

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/05/13/review-verizon-mifi-2200-we-love-everything-but-the-price/#comment-440019

Review: Verizon MiFi 2200 – We love everything but the bill
by Greg Kumparak on May 13, 2009

*** begin quote ***

Short version: We’ve loved the MiFi mobile router since we first laid eyes on it back at CES. After a few days of playing with the Verizon MiFi 2200, we still love it just as much – but with one hangup: the nasty monthly bill. After a trivial hiccup with the activation, we had 4 computers up and running in minutes. Speeds in our area are about average for the local EVDO Rev-A network, and we’ve had absolutely no connectivity drops in our 2 days of testing.

*** end quote ***

Interesting to anyone who needs wifi!

*** my comment ***

It would seem that Verizon, like the other Baby Bells, has not mastered the ideas of a competitive marketplace. Hi speed, all you can eat, and long lock ins at a cheap price. Just like the cable companies who always think internet and voip are like cable tv (i.e., no big deal when you’re out of service), so to the Bells have that take it or leave it mentality with a cost plus percentage mark up that they had when they were regulated and guaranteed a obscene profit. Argh! Where are the internet innovators who will clear the debris and send these dinos to the dino rest home?

*** end quote ***

Over priced.

Not recommended!

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WRITING: CHURCH 10●19●62 in another location

Monday, May 18, 2009
View this document on Scribd

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RANT: Votes do NOT count.

Monday, May 18, 2009

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090513/D98573FG0.html

Report: One-fourth of overseas votes go uncounted

May 13, 3:07 AM (ET)

By JIM ABRAMS

*** begin quote ***

WASHINGTON (AP) – One out of every four ballots requested by military personnel and other Americans living overseas for the 2008 election may have gone uncounted, according to findings being released at a Senate hearing Wednesday.

*** end quote ***

Guess every vote doesn’t count. AND, they were probably voting for the “wrong candidate” any way.

Sheeple!

Propaganda and fraud.

That’s how dictatorships happen! And, we have a “two party” one now.

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LIBERTY: We need nuke power to be free!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

http://lewrockwell.com/orig9/deming2.html

Death of a Civilization
by David Deming

*** begin quote ***

While Western Civilization sits confused, crippled with self-doubt and guilt, the Chinese are rapidly building an energy-intensive technological civilization. They have 2,000 coal-fired power plants, and are currently constructing new ones at the rate of one a week. In China, more people believe in free-market economics than in the US. Our Asian friends are about to be nominated by history as the new torchbearers of human progress.

*** end quote ***

Al Gore and his liberal pals will kill us.

We should be building nuclear reactors for power like there is no tomorrow. There won’t be. Why can France do it, but we can’t?

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RECOMMENDATION: Angels ‘n’ Demons

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Worth the price.

Not a classic.

Certain “science” was weak.

Last action stunt unbelievable; I’ve had the parasail jump training. Landings on water hurt; slamming into a building, you ain’t walking around.

Hanks only “name”; second string actors gave very credible performances.

Biometrics can tell a “dead” eye.

BUT, (there is always a big butt), a fun viewing.

Certainly not as good as the original.

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RANT: My comments on “global warming”

Sunday, May 17, 2009

http://irisheagle.blogspot.com/2009/05/now-looking-at-sun.html

http://www.haloscan.com/comments/irisheagle/554464321860769802/?a=30505  

Well, we know that the scientists tend to by myopic and not realize how exploit their findings. Or they don’t realize how to turn them into something practical. Or give practical advice. AND, , don’t limit themselves to the fields of expertise. Like Hollywood stars, they tend to dispense ECONOMIC or POLITICAL advice that has nothing to do with their expertise. Like a foot doctor giving advice on eye. He definitely has more data – information – knowledge – wisdom than a non-doctor. BUT, (there is always a big butt), it is not his FIELD of EXPERTISE. My illustration is a doctor tells us about the problems in healthcare and then makes the leap that we should have government healthcare. HE goes from medical expertise to economic prescriptions. A recitation of facts (which may well me indisputable) to urging socialism, which we know doesn’t work. ANd, the urging is done with the same air of authority. See us injineers know about boundry conditions. So to with “global something”, climatologists should halt at the boundry of their DIKW and let others pick up at theirs. A historian might point out that that climatologists had been scaring everyone about “global cooling” two decades ago. Hence their “facts” may need some checking. And, wasn’t there a warming in the Middle Ages where Iceland had farming? Some how that seems to have been omitted from the data. Guess it just was an oversight? Or, perhaps, like a student with a lab report on deadline, it was just “an inconvenient truth”?

But, then I’m just a fowg injineer.

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GUNS: Prices indicate that Obama isn’t to be trusted

Saturday, May 16, 2009

http://www.lvrj.com/opinion/44667772.html

May. 10, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: Obama ‘bitterly clinging’ to his fake gun numbers

*** begin quote ***

“ATF Special Agent William Newell tells Fox News that between 2007 and 2008, around 11,000 guns used in Mexican crimes appeared to come from the United States and were submitted to the ATF for tracing. Of those, only 6,000 could be successfully traced. Of those, only 5,114, according to testimony in Congress by William Hoover, were found to have come from the United States.

“Obama’s ’90 percent’ number refers, not to the percentage of ‘guns recovered in Mexico,’ as Obama claims, but to the ‘percent of the traced firearms’ according to an ATF spokeswoman.

“Mexican authorities report that in those two years, a total of 29,000 guns were recovered at ‘crime scenes.’ That means 68 percent of the guns recovered by Mexican police did not even appear to come from the United States. That means only 5,114 out of 29,000 guns used in Mexican crimes were found to have come from the United States,” the Libertarians conclude. “That figure would be 17 percent, not the 90 percent repeated by Obama.

During his term in the Senate, Obama earned an “F” rating from Gun Owners of America, as well as from the National Rifle Association. In an April 11, 2008, campaign speech in San Francisco, Obama claimed gun owners are simply “bitter,” racist people who “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them.”

“Obama is ‘bitterly clinging’ to falsified numbers, hoping he can take away the constitutional rights of ‘people who aren’t like’ him,” The Libertarian Party concludes.

*** end quote ***

Guns are a right.

But Spooner was right, the Constitution is powerless.

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RANT: Jason’s Furniture -Toms River; Not Recommended

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Jason’s Furniture-Toms River
2 Route 37 W
Toms River, NJ 08753
(732) 797-0776‎
jasonsfurniture.com

# – # – #

We ordered a bed and scheduled delivery. When we bought it, the sales person said that we’d get a call the night before with a four hour window. OK!

Night before at 9:30PM and no call, I called the store, no answer. At 10PM, we get a call promising 1-4PM delivery.

4:30PM No delivery.

I call the store and get put on hold. She comes back on and says they’ll be here in about an hour. (Too bad if we had plans and commitments.) I complain and I get an attitude. I say “reschedule”. She says: “The paperwork says you have to be home all day!” “barbara streisand” I ask for a manager. “He’s going to tell you the same thing.” I insist; hold. She comes back on “Manager not available; he’ll call you when he can!” Argh!

I wouldn’t do business with them again. You shouldn’t either.

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TECHNOLOGY: Report bad drivers

Saturday, May 16, 2009

http://www.emilychang.com/go/ehub/app/zapatag/

Zapatag

from eHub by Emily Chang

Report bad drivers, lousy parkers, litterers and tailgaters. Or, complement cool rides, clever vanity plates, and more. Post or search by license plate, with maps, tags, and photos. Track by location, user, or individual plate. Even post reports via Twitter! URL: Zapatag.

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Ms. Chang made my day. Report the crapy drivers! That’s something I’ll use.

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RANT: Obama’s healthcare; no better than Hillary’s!

Friday, May 15, 2009

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YWU3ZmJjODBjMTllNTg2ZTk5MGZiMWU1NTM5ZTMzMjU=&w=MA==

May 9, 2009 7:00 AM
Climb
Conservatives must have the courage to defend their convictions.
By Mark Steyn
Is conservatism over?

*** begin quote ***

It’s a mountain, and it’s getting steeper. Promises of “free” government health care will make more voters susceptible to the blandishments of the nanny state. The Democrats have plans for talk radio and the Internet that will diminish conservative voices. Another retirement on the Supreme Court, and the First and Second Amendments will start getting nibbled away. Obama’s buddies at ACORN, already under investigation in multiple states over fraudulent voter registration, will have a prominent say in the 2010 census.

But, when the going gets tough, you don’t, as General Powell advises, “move toward the center.” You move the center toward you, as Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher did. It’s harder to do it that way, but if it’s a choice between more government and more taxes, or more liberty and more opportunity, I’ll stick with the latter, and so should the Republican party — however difficult it is. Unlike Colin Powell, conservatism does do mountains.

*** end quote ***

Anyone, who is even thinking of being fooled by Obama / Hillary Healthcare, shoudl consider:

(1) We have a working model — the VA healthcare system. Ask any vet!

(2) Will the politicians be using it? Probably not!

(3) Where is the money coming for this? Remember in every college economics class, medical care is used as an example of an “inelastic” demand curve, infinite demand without regard to cost. If medical care is “free”, demand will be “infinite”. So there will be rationing and waiting. Look at England where old people don’t get dialysis. Look at Canada, the wait for an MRI allows cancer to be fatal. (Reminds of the VA where vets are convinced their VA docs want to kill them to reduce the demand!)

(4) Forget privacy. THe government will know everything,

Name one thing that the government does acceptably?

How stupid are we?

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LIBERTY: gay marriage affect you?

Friday, May 15, 2009

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/how_does_gay_marriage_affect_y.html

How does gay marriage affect you?
from American Thinker

*** begin quote ***

If past is indeed prologue, the organized, concentrated and continuous assault by a small percentage of zealots will ultimately wear down the resistance of the larger, less focused, non-committed majority.

*** end quote ***

The Constitution’s Tenth Amendment reserves that to Several States. Thus the Federal Government should have NO role in the definition of marriage.

The States really should not have any role in defining marriage either since it’s a “church” thing.

The heritage of marriage licensing is racial discrimination.

So, “marriage” should be left to the civil society; the gooferment should MYOB and butt out.

imho!

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SERVICE: Looking for a job?

Thursday, May 14, 2009

*** begin quote ***

Job Track – A Free service from EasyWebSitesToday
Posted by: “Job Track”
Mon May 11, 2009 6:33 pm (PDT)

Are you looking for a job? Do you find yourselves applying for way more jobs than ever before? Are you finding yourselves, in a situation where they are calling you 3 months after you have applied for that dream job and you are trying hard to remember, which job is this guy talking about, what is the job description, what salary did I mention to them or that they mentioned to me and what was the resume I sent to them?

If you have answered yes to any one or more of these questions, if that is any consolation. know you are not alone,

The unemployment rate in the US is right now in double-digits and it is taking a very long time to land on a job.When the phone rings, you ask who the person on the other side is, and they start asking questions about you and the job you applied for. You don’t want to miss the call or ask her to call again later, just because you do not remember, which job this is, which resume you sent and other details. You want to be prepared, ready and be able to pull up the information exactly how they pull up your information when you call.

In short, you need to keep track of your job search, like never before and for this you need JobTrack from EasyWebSitesToday.

To help you keep track of your job search and also to be able to meet some the requirements from the Dept. of Labor, we introduce a tool called JobTrack <http://jobtrack.easywebsitestoday.com/&gt;.

This tool is meant to help you to be on top of your job search, by letting you know, “what are the top five jobs that I am pursuing”, “what does my calendar look like for this week, in terms of interviews, either phone, follow-up or face to face”. When you are on the phone with an interviewer, it critical to keep all the relevant information, all on the same page, including the Job Description, the targeted resume and cover letter, the name of the HR person or the hiring manager, the notes you had jotted down about this job and all such relevant information at your finger tips.

So go ahead and sign up for this free service JobTrack<http://jobtrack.easywebsitestoday.com/&gt;, and check it out for yourselves, today!

*** end quote ***

I did. The sign up process isn’t friendly. So!

Not really ready for prime time, yet.

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LIBERTY: Rights are inalienable

Thursday, May 14, 2009

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124223286506515765.html

News Alert from The Wall Street Journal

*** begin quote ***

The Obama administration is weighing plans to detain some terror suspects on U.S. soil — indefinitely and without trial — as part of a plan to retool military commission trials that were conducted for prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The proposal being floated with members of Congress is another indication of President Barack Obama’s struggles to establish his counter-terrorism policies, balancing security concerns against attempts to alter Bush-administration practices he has harshly criticized.

*** end quote ***

Another campaign issue / promise up in smoke.

Don’t real;y care about the lying.

BUT!

THe Bush Admininstration had Gitmo to keep the prisoners from getting Fifth Amendment and other rights.t us, next it

(Using my Judge Judy law degree and reading the Constitution, I think rights are inalienable regardless where on the Earth the government is operating. But my opinion matters not.)

The Obama Adminsitration seems to have a new reading of the Fifth and where it applies.

That scares me!

As Pastor Martin Niemîller taught us, next it woon’t apply to us as they herd us to the camps.

Remember my previous blogs. Just take out the first one and the they will soon run out of thugs.

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RANT: Obama is killing the America we new

Thursday, May 14, 2009

http://lewrockwell.com/woods/woods112.html

A EURO-PACIFIC/PETER SCHIFF WHITE PAPER
Beware of Obamanomics
by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.

*** begin quote ***

In short, the president’s program aggravates every existing problem in the American economy, and will make genuine recovery all the longer in coming. Whether we measure these policies against history or sound economic theory, the verdict is the same: the president has chosen a path that is guaranteed to fail. We were already on that path before his election. Only if President Obama genuinely changes course, and allows the free economy to restore the prosperity that so much previous intervention served to undermine, would we really have change we can believe in.

*** end quote ***

Yes, those trillions and trillions of dollars of debt are going to make us more like Zimbabwe!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: ALL politician lie; we just have to watch them

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22401.html

Pelosi: Torture protest improper in ’03

TAGS: Congress, Jane Harman, Nancy Pelosi, Interrogation, Torture

By GLENN THRUSH & JOHN BRESNAHAN | 5/11/09 8:14 PM EDT

*** begin quote ***

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi learned in early 2003 that the Bush administration was waterboarding terror detainees but didn’t protest directly out of respect for “appropriate” legislative channels, a confidant of the San Francisco Democrat said Monday.

*** end quote ***

How can you tell when a politcian is lying?

When their lips are moving!

She wants it her way all the time regardless of facts or history.

They’re all the same.

And she’s THIRD in line to be PRESIDENT?!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Jury duty is slavery!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090509/D982S7N80.html

Texas man jailed 83 days for skipping jury duty
May 9, 1:56 PM (ET)

*** begin quote ***

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) – A man arrested for allegedly failing to appear for jury duty was released Saturday after spending 83 days in jail, a length of detention that a judge called “unacceptable.”

Douglas Maupin was released a day after The Dallas Morning News brought his plight to the attention of a Collin County judge.

Maupin, a masonry contractor, was arrested Feb. 15 after police pulled him over for speeding. Police then detained him on a 2003 warrant for failure to appear for jury duty.

He wrote a letter to the newspaper about his lengthy jail stay, then said in a jailhouse interview that he, his friends and family could not afford his $1,500 bail.

*** end quote ***

Guess no one ever heard of the Fourteenth Amendment about slavery!

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WRITING: Yes, you really should NOT gum up the works.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Don’t gum up the works

The drunk staggered along the street. He was dirty, smelly, and bedraggled. He bumped between parking meters and cars. Like a sad ping pong match. The police car was at the corner. Illegally parked, of course; the members of the long blue line were on doughnut break. From their “selfless” mission, protecting and serving the entrenched elite. The drunk was an equal opportunity ping pong ball. He bounced off their car, around the corner and away.

+++

It was the death of his wife that set him off. No one much cared about him. But, then that feeling was mutual with him. He was a self-described “tin foil hat patriot”. Who would know if he was a pinhead or a patriot? Who’d much care! As long as he paid his taxes, there was much he could do. Frustratingly, he blogged. He wrote his letters. He went to demonstrations. He voted religiously. But nothing much mattered. It all came to him in an Auto Parts store. He needed replacement windshield wiper blades. A very mundane purchase. After all if was one of the last things you could do on a car without the government’s permission. The socialists had succeeded in making everything with cars either illegal, expensive, or sealed. You could put an additive in your oil; it’s damaging the planet. Gas was eight bucks a gallon, seven of which was tax; taxed like beer, treated liked drugs. The twenty two hundred dollar catalytic converter was sealed shut; the earth had to “breathe” too you know. Global warming. Remember Mother Earth. For the children. The Auto Parts store had some vintage signs as decoration. One was for an old product called Gunk Out. The slogan was: “Don’t gum up the works!”. Next to the car register were small packages of liquid epoxy designed to stick trim back on cars. Their slogan was: “It’ll never be loose again.” On an impulse, he bought five at this store. And went to another store for more.

+++

It was the end of a quiet shift. The police pair had been “clocked out” as they drove into the station parking lot. Due to budget crises, there was an automatic badge reader that recorded their status. They just had to refill the patrol car on their own time. The city saved grazillions on the “free labor”; their union had gotten other off-budget concessions. So, their end of shift chores were “off the clock”. Fill up the tank, record the serial number of ammo returned to the armory, lock up their personal weapons until next shift, download their computers to the HQ network. All their problem. Pulling up to the gas pump, the non-driver went to pump. They switched roles each shift. Just like they’d change who was the “bad cop” in their “good cop / bad cop” routine they’d run on suspects. It was all about making their quotas. The gas tank cover wouldn’t open. They were befuddled. They tried knives. They called for help. Finally, the mechanic drilled the cover and cut it off. Four hours later, gas was flowing into their tank. Their car was put out of service for repair. They were being investigated by Internal Affairs for sabatoge. Fixing that was going to be expensive. Especially at government prices!

+++

The next morning, the city’s 311 number was taking calls from irate citizens. There was no where to park. Every other meter on several blocks wouldn’t take money. What’s worse, if the parker ignored the problem, the automated parking meters would sense there was a car parked, that no graft was being paid to the city for that privilege, and a traffic agent was printed out a ticket automatically to be delivered to that car. Maybe it even got there. On some of the newer meters, it would also read the license plate, and mail a three day violation notice to the registered owner. After three days, if the $125 fine was not paid, their license and registration was suspended automatically. After seven days, a collection agency was engaged. After fourteen days, an arrest warrant was issued. All automagically. The older meters still relied on the Civil Servants to eventually get the paperwork where it should be. The law was written for the new meters. May take years but everyone would be penalized in due time. There’d be arrests for eons based on the old tickets; no statue of limitations and no requirement that tickets be done promptly by the government. But, no such “grace period” for the rabble. It was making pinheads into patriots everywhere in society. It was hard to be uninvolved. Everyone was getting into the act!

+++

It really wasn’t so bad. They were doing OK until the internet got the story. They had suppressed the press from reporting. They were the lapdogs of the politicians. But, eventually, six days later, the blogosphere erupted with the news. Enraged bloggers caught in the mess screamed to Holy Heaven. The the patriot bloggers picked it up. Then the outlawed bittorrenters distributed pointers to how it was done. All sorts of glue sold out in a few days. Then the fun really began. Finally way to late, wweks later, the government suspended the sale of all glue. It was more heavily regulated than guns.

+++

Eventually government ceased to function. Society thrived. But government was “glued” solid. Unmovable. Yes, it was a little inconvenient to get around the “road blocks”. But it was funny to see the mayor’s limo encased in epoxy!

+++

Yes, you really should NOT gum up the works.

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[NOTE: This is Johnathan Swift satire, you should NOT do this!]

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: Inflation is a hidden tax

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

http://tslrf.blogspot.com/2009/05/inflation.html

Friday, May 8, 2009

Inflation

*** begin quote ***

This is a backdoor tax because a tax was not passed. You did not have money stolen out of your paycheck and didn’t write them a check but they in effect reached into your wallet and bank accounts and via a loss purchasing power you were essentially taxed.

*** end quote ***

Insidious backdoor taxation. Coming to you very soon!

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Posted by reinkefj

GAMBLING: Keep in sync in the casino

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

http://scoblete.casinocitytimes.com/articles/46452.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Featured_Guru_Article&utm_campaign=5-11-09  

Keep Your Rhythm
30 April 2009
By Frank Scoblete

*** begin quote ***

I am fully aware that some casino players think that a necessary ingredient of going to the casinos is for the player to lose control. They view their casino time as some kind of “letting it all hang out” experience. According to the Captain, not only is that dangerous to your health, it is also dangerous to your bankroll and you peace of mind.

*** end quote ***

My greatest flaw is probability.

Especially on a slot where I have played for a long time, the jackpot just has to hit.

I’ve proven in my own mind that a long run without a jackpot means one is “due”.

In group play, with Luddite and our wives, I’ll stay on a machine that has “broken” us. Say a penny slot, playing for 45 or 75 cents a spin, has taken 80 bucks from us. Haning on for so more play at max coins has been very profitable. Not at progressives where I don’t think they ever pay or it’s hard to get away with winnings.

In personal play, I try to be very disciplined. Sometimes it even works. On non-progressive pennies, I try to find one that hasn’t been “hit”. Either by observation or looking at the last cash out. I’ll play minimum coins maximum lines for half my stake and max for the last half. Jury’s still out at that.

Drinking or tired are two fatalities to disciplined play. Together it’s a killer.

Argh!

No easy road to riches!

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LIBERTY: Buchanan points the way for the GOP

Monday, May 11, 2009

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97455

The winning issue for GOP
Pat Buchanan
Posted: May 08, 2009

*** begin quote ***

Why is the party in trouble? Simple. Dubya got a hold of the keys, got high on neocon hooch, and crashed and rolled the family SUV.

He launched an unnecessary war against a country that had not attacked us. With his utopian No Child Left Behind scheme and his Medicare drug plan, he did his passable imitation of LBJ, and blew a hole in the budget.

Touting globalism, he presided over the loss of one in every four U.S. manufacturing jobs and ran up $5 trillion in trade deficits. He refused to defend the Mexican border against an invasion, then pushed an amnesty for the invaders.

This was no Reaganite. This was the neocons’ apprentice.

{Extraneous Deleted}

If the Republican Party wants a future, it will become again the party that stands on the principle that “No discrimination means no discrimination,” that stands with the victims of state bigotry, and that stands up to hypocrites like the Jim Crow liberals of New Haven.

*** end quote ***

# – # – #

To return to power, the GOP has to return to the Taft – Reagan wing of the party. Principles of smaller government will win. We can’t afford the nonsense that substitutes for wisdom in DC.

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TECHNOLOGY: Print On Demand for magazines

Monday, May 11, 2009

http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/07/cloud-computing-enterprise-technology-cio-network-cloud-computing.html?partner=technology_newsletter

Commentary
A Cloud In Every Garage
Russ Daniels, 05.07.09, 06:00 PM EDT
HP on how cloud computing can help re-ignite the global economy.

*** begin quote ***

HP has a cloud service, called MagCloud, that makes it possible for anyone to publish a professional-quality magazine and print, promote, sell and deliver it on demand. Printing on demand means no large press runs, no pre-publication expense, no waste.

By eliminating substantial pieces of the physical supply chain, we can offer professional-quality print to a mass audience while reducing the impact on the environment. The same on-demand technology can be extended to book publishing and allow individuals to print customized books, mixing their own content with that of professionals.

Looking ahead, we envision a rich ecosystem of printing services–connecting businesses to businesses and businesses to individuals–that delivers information where, when and how it’s needed.

*** end quote ***

Print On Demand for magazines?

I like POD for books. It makes the family history possible. Have to see how this is implemented and how much it costs. Niche magazines might be possible if they are built on a advertising model and if they are dirt cheap. Where will be the margin for the mission?

Reigniting the world economy?

Nah.

Cloud computing has major problems: version control; payment; and data ownership right off the top of my head.

Maybe I’m just an old fuddy duddy

Besides, connectivity to the cloud is NOT ubiquitous or cheap (i.e., free are very close to it). And the ISPs (i.e., AT&T, the Bells, Comcast, the Cable Companies) have other ideas on how they are going to keep their monopoly and monitize it. And, don’t forget how they are strangling peer 2 peer technology with caps and deep stateful packet inspection (i.e., poisoning).

No, this ain’t the Far East with big pipes to the home and “enlighted” politicial and technology leadership.

The inet may have been an American invention, but it’s going to be the Far East boom 2.0!

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RANT: Supposedly Bill Cosby’s platform (Update 4)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

On May 4, 2009, at 6:05 PM, {my wife’s high school friend} wrote:

BILL COSBY HAS DECIDED TO BECOME A WRITE-IN CANDIDATE. HERE IS HIS PLATFORM: (AFTER YOU READ THIS YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO VOTE FOR HIM)!!!

(1) ‘Press 1 for English’ is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can.

(2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country’s attitude.. NO imports, no exports. We will use the ‘Wal-Mart ‘s policy, ‘If we ain’t got it, you don’t need it.’

(3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

(4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border (six month tour). They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

(5) Social security will immediately return to its original state. If you didn’t put nuttin’ in, you ain’t getting’ nuttin’ out. The president nor any other politician will be able to touch it.

(6) Welfare – Checks will be handed out on Fridays at the end of the 40-hour school week and the successful completion of urinalysis and a passing grade.

(7) Professional Athletes–Steroids. The FIRST time you check positive you’re banned for life.

(8) Crime – We will adopt the Turkish method, the first time you steal, you lose your right hand. There is no more life sentences. If convicted of murder, you will be put to death by the same method you chose for your victim; gun, knife, strangulation, etc.

(9) One export will be allowed, Wheat. The world needs to eat. A bushel of wheat will be the exact price of a barrel of oil.

(10) All foreign aid using American taxpayer money will immediately cease, and the saved money will pay off the national debt and ultimately lower taxes. When disasters occur around the world, we’ll ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund, and each citizen can make the decision whether it’s a worthy cause.

(11) The Pledge of Allegiance will be said every day at school and every day in Congress.

(12) The National Anthem will be played at all appropriate ceremonies, sporting events, outings, etc..

Sorry if I stepped on anyone’s toes.

GOD BLESS AMERICA !

Bill Cosby

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I have to get some time to check snopes for this. It sounds like inet tripe. But, it does give me “blo-der” (i.e., fodder to blog about)!

Update: It is a hoax.

But it’s still useful to destroy each bullet point.

>(1) English is the official language

We need an “official” anything, like we need a hole in the head. We managed to go 200 years without an “official” language. Why do we suddenly need one now? Could it be more of the 1850’s Know Nothings anti-immigrant prejudice? Could it be just one more way that the “power elite” distract us from the important issues of the day?

>2) We will immediately go into a two year isolationist posture to straighten out the country’s attitude.. NO imports, no exports.

And, how do you like 30$/gal gasoline? Give the politicians who passed the Smoot Hawley tariff, they may have not been aware that they were creating the Great Depression and allowing FDR to take us off the gold standard which allowed runaway gooferment spending. It’s hard to imagine anything this stupid actually passing. But, never underestimate the stupidity or cupidity of politicians. In the Depression and subsequent civil unrest, you would at least wrest the title of the “great depression” from 1929. I can’t imagine the result of this ill considered policy. Not only would you screw this country, but all of our trading partner as well. Poor people in third world countries who make stuff that gets shipped here would be instantly out of work. I can visualize the starvation and civil unrest around the world. Trade preempts invasions. World War 3! Absolute stupidity.

Stay tuned. I’ll take on each over the next twelve days

>3) When imports are allowed, there will be a 100% import tax on it.

How absurd. What that means is that people will be paying the government for the privilege of overpaying? From an economic point of view, you’re not producing the maximum value for human society or American society. This is similar to the argument that every one should be a subsistence farmer. We don’t want imports from California to prevent New Jersey from growing oranges. Oh yeah, that’s right, they won’t grow here. Stupidity!

>4) All retired military personnel will be required to man one of our many observation towers on the southern border (six month tour).

Why would they have to do that. Just because they are retired military? Do they get paid? How much will that cost?

>4 continued They will be under strict orders not to fire on SOUTHBOUND aliens.

The implication is that they will fire on NORTHbound aliens. Guess all aliens look a like. The death penalty for believing what is written on the Statue of Liberty.THe problem isn’t folks coming here to work hard. The problem is government welfare and the psuedo drug war. So shred the Fourteenth Amendment about involuntary servitude and keep up the pretense that the illeagals are the root of all our problems.

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LIBERTY: Can snap that pic?

Sunday, May 10, 2009

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/07/san-francisco-muni-b.html

San Francisco Muni begins to enforce imaginary no-photos policy
Posted by Cory Doctorow, May 7, 2009 6:45 PM

*** begin quote ***

The blogger at What I’m Seeing is a prolific photographer of San Francisco’s rapid transit system, and thus has fallen afoul of its imaginary no-photos policy, with a threatened arrest:

*** end quote ***

What happened to the First Amendment?

The rapid transit is part of the gooferment.

No doubt about that!

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TECHNOLOGY: Kindle DX for text books? Doesn’t make sense.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=17630

Revisiting the ROI of the Kindle DX: Why is Amazon blind to Wi-Fi?
Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:24 am

*** begin quote ***

Amazon unveiled its much hyped Kindle DX, an e-book with a 9.7-inch screen designed to raise a ruckus in the textbook market, but delivered a $489 curve ball that seriously alters the return on investment calculation for academia.

On the surface, the argument for the Kindle DX (Techmeme) in academia holds somewhat but that price tag makes the case much harder for your average student. Amazon is asking students to learn a little about total cost of ownership over three years before they pick up a book. What is this? Enterprise software?

The Kindle DX runs you $489 as an upfront investment and the average student spends $488 on new and used course materials a year. In a nutshell, Amazon is asking the average student to fork over more money for the Kindle and then buy the textbooks too.

*** end quote ***

They’d have a better chance supporting the Open Textbook effort. That’s what student’s could afford.

Textbooks’ prices are obscene!

Even when I went to school.

No margin, no mission. I understand. BUT, (there is always a big butt), it doesn’t have to be a screw job!

Don’t forget Project Gutenberg and Google with it’s out of print books.

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