CLOUD: PLAXO bites the dust

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Dear Plaxo User,

After 15 years of helping customers enrich their address books, we regret to announce that we will be shutting down the Plaxo service at the end of the day on December 31, 2017.

We will begin purging user data on January 1, 2018. If you would like to export your address book data, please do so before that date. Instructions for how to export your data are available here.

Thank you for subscribing to Plaxo. We appreciate the support you have given us over the years and we wish you all the best.

– The Plaxo Team

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Posted by reinkefj

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: 73 Percent of World’s Dictatorships? Seriously!

Sunday, October 1, 2017

2017-Oct-01

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/42020-us-provides-military-assistance-to-73-percent-of-world-s-dictatorships

US Provides Military Assistance to 73 Percent of World’s Dictatorships
Saturday, September 23, 2017 — By Rich Whitney, Truthout | News Analysis

*** begin quote ***

For decades, the American people have been repeatedly told by their government and corporate-run media that acts of war ordered by their president have been largely motivated by the need to counter acts of aggression or oppression by “evil dictators.” We were told we had to invade Iraq because Saddam Hussein was an evil dictator. We had to bomb Libya because Muammar Gaddafi was an evil dictator, bent on unleashing a “bloodbath” on his own people. Today, of course, we are told that we should support insurgents in Syria because Bashar al-Assad is an evil dictator, and we must repeatedly rattle our sabers at North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin because they, too, are evil dictators.

This is part of the larger, usually unquestioned mainstream corporate media narrative that the US leads the “Western democracies” in a global struggle to combat terrorism and totalitarianism and promote democracy.

I set out to answer a simple question: Is it true? Does the US government actually oppose dictatorships and champion democracy around the world, as we are repeatedly told?

The truth is not easy to find, but federal sources do provide an answer: No. According to Freedom House’s rating system of political rights around the world, there were 49 nations in the world, as of 2015, that can be fairly categorized as “dictatorships.” As of fiscal year 2015, the last year for which we have publicly available data, the federal government of the United States had been providing military assistance to 36 of them, courtesy of your tax dollars. The United States currently supports over 73 percent of the world’s dictatorships!

*** end quote ***

Does this upset anyone else?

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Posted by reinkefj

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Florida Power and Light keeps it’s “customers” in the dark

Saturday, September 30, 2017

2017-Sep-30

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-09-18/florida-you-cant-use-your-own-solar-panels-crisis

In Florida, You Can’t Use Your Own Solar Panels In A Crisis
by Tyler Durden — Sep 18, 2017 10:05 PM
Authored by Mike Krieger via Liberty Blitzkrieg blog

*** begin quote ***

When it comes to the U.S. economy, the “con” part offers the best description of the current relationship between business, government and the preyed upon consumer.

The way things work in early 21st century America is large businesses bribe politicians in a variety of ways at both the local and federal level, and the end result is laws that are designed to increase corporate profits at the expense of the wellbeing and freedom of the American public. Politicians end up with financial war chests to run their next campaign, while bureaucrats see a lucrative opportunity to swing through the ever spinning revolving door should they play ball with lobbyists and their patrons.

*** and ***

FPL and its parent company, NextEra Energy, have for years heavily influenced state and local politics through donations, making billions in profits each year ($1.7 billion alone in 2016) thanks to favorable state laws that are sometimes literally written by the power company’s own lobbyists.

FPL’s lobbying wing has fought hard against letting Floridians power their own homes with solar panels. Thanks to power-company rules, it’s impossible across Florida to simply buy a solar panel and power your individual home with it. You are instead legally mandated to connect your panels to your local electric grid.

More egregious, FPL mandates that if the power goes out, your solar-power system must power down along with the rest of the grid, robbing potentially needy people of power during major outages.

*** end quote ***

Once again, we find that Gooferment intervention in the free market makes the consumer / rate payer / taxpayer worse off by permitting Crony Capitalism to influence the political process.

Wonder if Tesla’s home power offering will “magically” be equally unacceptable!

Argh!

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IOS: iOS 11’s Most Obnoxious Features

Friday, September 29, 2017

Image credit: iOS 11 brings a lot of new and exciting features to the iPhone and iPad. It also brings a lot of pretty annoying ones. Like most new operating systems, iOS 11 has had a few hiccups during its first full week out on the town, including a bug that made it impossible for Microsoft Exchange users to send or receive emails using their iPhones.

Source: iOS 11’s Most Obnoxious Features

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And, they have screwed up the PODCAST feature that played all the “unplayed” podcasts.

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POLITICAL: How to get politics out of taxation or Gooferment “theft”

Friday, September 29, 2017

2017-Oct-06

FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL “The 10-Point”

*** begin quote ***

Responding to yesterday’s question on the GOP tax proposals, Bob Jones of New Jersey said: “Let’s stop using the tax code to encourage certain behaviors. Get rid of all tax deductions and preferences. That means the same rate for corporate income, personal income and capital gains, and no deductions for anything, including charitable contributions, mortgage interest or solar panels. Then set the rate to balance the budget, and they’re done. Simple.” Jim Miner of Michigan commented: “Unemployment is low, inflation is low and growth is now steady and sustainable instead of the boom-and-bust cycles of the past. Exactly what problem is this tax cut supposed to fix?” And Mark Pankin of Virginia asked: “The logic behind doing away with the deduction for state and local taxes is that taxpayers in low-tax states should not subsidize those in high-tax states. Shouldn’t the same logic apply to the mortgage interest deduction? Why should taxpayers without mortgages subsidize those who have them?”

*** end quote ***

As a little L libertarian, I believe that “taxes are theft”. Pure and simple.

In order to get to a truly free market economy I liked Bob Jones of New Jersey idea. Same rate and just balance the budget. 

Then we can move the fight to reducing the size and scope of Gooferment.

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Posted by reinkefj

SECESSION: Support for Secession?

Friday, September 29, 2017

2017-Sep-29

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2017/09/kirkpatrick-sale/new-poll-on-americans-support-for-secession/

New Poll on Americans’ Support for Secession
By Kirkpatrick Sale September 20, 2017

*** begin quote ***

In the final analysis, this is a global issue that has gained traction in the last few years. From Scotland and Catalan, to Venice, France, the UK, and now loud calls can even be heard in California and Texas. The ghosts of Lincoln, (“I must save the Union”) and Jefferson (“A rebellion is necessary every generation”) appear to be roaming the American landscape as a sizeable portion of the public are sympathetic to the cause of Independence from D.C.

*** end quote ***

One can only hope!

Clearly the “coastal” states violently disagree with the “heartland” states. Like the War of Northern Aggression, why can’t States leave.

Federalism has been destroyed by the all-powerful Federal Gooferment. The repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment was the nail in the coffin for States to prevent unfunded liabilities.

Just like the Federal Reserve gives the Feds an unlimited “checkbook”, the States have no power to frustrate the loss of their inherent Constitutional power.

Argh!

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: How is this fair?

Thursday, September 28, 2017

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/most-americans-dont-want-or-need-a-tax-cut-2017-09-27

Opinion: This tax cut isn’t for the middle class, which only pays 2.5% now
Published: Sept 28, 2017 10:15 a.m. ET

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Shouldn’t EVERYONE pay something?

Argh!

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Posted by reinkefj

WSJ: Multitasking?

Thursday, September 28, 2017

FROM WSJ

*** begin quote ***

From Workout to Takeout Pick up takeout for dinner, or hit the gym? Now you may not have to choose. Meal-delivery services are finding a new market in time-strapped people seeking healthy, preservative-free breakfasts, lunches and dinners, often packed in a single plastic container. To minimize delivery costs, many are dropping the meals off in a place that customers frequent: the gym. Some meals are vegan or vegetarian, or comply with low-carb plans such as the Paleo diet or Whole 30. “If they leave our club and they go through a drive-through and eat unhealthy food, they’re just spinning their wheels,” says the general manager of one gym.

*** end quote ***

How pressed for time are some people?

Maybe they can eat WHILE they are ON the treadmill?

Laugh!

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INSPIRATIONAL: Let’s see if there is a real problem or if it’s just “optics”

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

2017-Sep-27

FROM BEHIND THE WSJ PAYWALL

https://www.wsj.com/articles/i-used-to-sit-for-the-national-anthem-too-1506464031?mod=djemMER

I Used to Sit for the National Anthem Too
But here’s the question: Is the ‘police brutality’ that NFL players are protesting based in reality?
By Jason L. RileySept. 26, 2017 6:13 p.m. ET

*** begin quote ***

An increase in press coverage of police shootings isn’t the same thing as an increase in police shootings.

*** end quote ***

As a vet and a little L libertarian, I am conflicted. 

I respect that the Dead Old White Guys and lot of good young women and men have sacrificed lives, blood, tears, and sweat for the ideal the Flag and Anthem represent.

I also know that the ideal is long gone and that freedom and liberty are barely holding on.

So what should one do.

Boycott the NFL?

Seems a silly response. Respect the views being expressed — whatever they are — damned if I know.

OR —  “Move along, people. Nothing to see here. Go home, you looky-loos.” Officer Barbrady’s Catch Phrase South Park

I think the reasonable approach is to: demilitarize the police, require a uniform police reporting system for officer involved shootings, and transparency.

For example, why aren’t police body cams and car cams ever off? 

(Sidenote: I think that politicians and bureaucrats should have to wear them 24/7 also. Remember ABSCAM?)

For example, a felon recently used a gun and it was reported that he was released after 4 years of a 5 year “felon in possession” offense. Sorry DJT45 should pass the word — on “felon in possession”, no plea deals, vigorous prosecution, opposition to any early release, and federal time for such. That should  “disarm” the bad guys.

For example, let’s have a DOJ review of any officer involved shooting, which if warranted should be prosecuted by the DOJ in a federal court.

For example, let’s put pressure on the various State and City Gooferments to protect their citizens. The murder rate in Chicago specifically is unacceptable.

With those reforms, let’s see if there is a real problem or if it’s just “optics”.

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INSPIRATIONAL: “Worrying takes up cognitive resources”

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/expressing-ourselves-through-writing-helps-us-handle-stress.html

Expressing Ourselves Through Writing Helps Us Handle Stress
By: Katie Medlock September 23, 2017

*** begin quote ***

“Worrying takes up cognitive resources; it’s kind of like people who struggle with worry are constantly multitasking—they are doing one task and trying to monitor and suppress their worries at the same time,” lead author Hans Schroder, an MSU doctoral student in psychology and a clinical intern at Harvard Medical School’s McLean Hospital, told Science Daily. “Our findings show that if you get these worries out of your head through expressive writing, those cognitive resources are freed up to work toward the task you’re completing and you become more efficient.”

*** end quote ***

Interesting. I should try this since lately I’ve been worrying a lot. That in and of itself IS very unusual for me since I think I am a “take it as it comes and roll with the seas” kinda of fellow. As a fat old white guy retired injineer who’s a poor old senior citizen on a fixed income, I tend to plan a lot. 

“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” — Dwight D. Eisenhower

Always have a Plan B, Plan C, and as many others as is unreasonable. (Once I had alternatives up to the letter M and never needed any of them.)

I wonder if it is the physical act of writing or will an online journal do?

Hmmmmmmm?

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