RANT: Yesterday’s graduation ceremony

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Yesterday, I went to a graduation ceremony.

No, not mine. Thankfully so. 

A Gooferment High Skrule graduated almost 300 children.

There were so many things I could talk about.

OBSERVATIONS

  • The Gooferment bureaucrats speaking flowery phrases.
  • The lack of the crowd to follow a few simple rules for the enjoyment of others.
  • The Gooferment fire truck that broke those rules for certain individuals.
  • The flag with the fringe.
  • Numerous speakers extolling how “special” the graduates were. (Aren’t at least half below average?  “Well, that’s the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.”)
  • The propaganda about how much the collective had accomplished in the last four years.
  • The large number of Gooferment bureaucrats earning big bucks with similar sounding titles.
  • The complete lack of acknowledgement to the Taxpayer who are all robbed to pay for this “education”.
  • The Pledge and the National Anthem. With some silent protests.
  • The pandering to a returning vet who’s cousin was graduating. And the dias encouraging the fire truck to break their own rules on decorum.
  • The calling out the six youngsters who were going into the military. (I was filled with sadness at that!)
  • The decorated mortar boards where members of the graduating collective tried to express their individuality.
  • The young faces who are so naïve.
  • The valedictorian taking a selfie. 
  • The strange behavior of one politician when the mayor gave a speech. (He walked off the dais and faced away towards one of the bleachers. Maybe he was her security. But why that direction. Very strange.)

CONCLUSIONS

  • The complete lack of candor by the adults to the children about the “facts of life”. They are faced with a terrible economy, a staggering national debt, and a political elite that are out of touch and out of control.
  • The inability of people to control themselves. Behaviors I would expect at a football game. Attire that I wouldn’t allow at a garage sale. And, language by young women that even a sailor wouldn’t use in mixed company.
  • The inability of Gooferment to do anything right was reinforced. Names were mispronounced. Songs were amateur. And, the band was out of tune. 
  • The traffic in the area was messed up by the Gooferment scheduling two graduations of nearby high schools on the same night.

  • AND finally, my recognition that I am old and crotchety. Sadly burdened with paradigms and memes that will not allow me to “go with the flow”. Probably because I see where “going with the flow” as brought us to.

Dona Nobis Pacem

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INTERESTING: Standing up for three hours a day

Saturday, June 21, 2014

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stand-up-for-three-hours-and-live-two-years-longer-says-top-uk-medical-consultant-9552467.html

*** begin quote ***

A leading UK sports consultant has said that the public should be encouraged to do more “low-level” exercise and that standing up for three hours a day can extend life span by two years.

Dr Mike Loosemore, head of the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health at University College London, said: “There is now enormous evidence that simply standing makes huge differences to your health.”

“Low-level activity, even regularly getting off your seat, can change your life forever,” said Dr Loosemore, writing for the BBC. “Active individuals reduce their risk of heart disease by 40% against their inactive counterparts.”

*** end quote ***

I think I’ll try this at work.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Kops shoot innocent woman

Friday, June 20, 2014

http://www.policestateusa.com/2014/iyanna-davis/

Police burst into wrong apartment, shoot innocent woman hiding in closet
“I told them I was afraid and do not shoot me, and one officer screamed at me to put my hands above my head… That’s when I heard the shot.”
Posted on June 18, 2014 by Site Staff in News

*** begin quote ***

Resolution

The indisputable facts of the case held that Ms. Davis had nothing to do with the investigation, yet she ended up being shot while unarmed in her own home by a police officer who should never have been there. Despite this breathtaking display of negligence and incompetence, the department investigated itself and cleared its officers of any wrongdoing.

Finally, after wrangling in the legal system for over 4 years, Nassau County agreed to settle with Ms. Davis to the tune of $650,000. As part of the settlement, the police internal investigation was officially sealed. According to Charles Horn, Ms. Davis’ attorney, this was to prevent its many “inaccuracies” from coming to light, which were falsely presented to convey justification for shooting an unarmed woman.

Taxpayers footed the bill, and no police officers received any sort of reprimand or termination.

Police ineptitude and corruption are practically inevitable, but they are enabled and magnified in scope by the existence of intrusive laws and widespread militaristic enforcement techniques. An end to the cruel Drug War and the overuse of no-knock raids would prevent situations like this from ever occurring.

*** end quote ***

So why does the Taxpayer get the bill?

It would seem that the entire civil bureaucracy should be penalized — both individually and collectively.

No bonuses, no raises, and further training.

No pain; no gain.

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CHROMEBOX: Asus Chromebox $169.99

Thursday, June 19, 2014

http://www.chromestory.com/2014/06/deal-alert-asus-chromebox-169-99/

Deal Alert – Buy Asus Chromebox for $169.99 from Amazon
Dinsan Francis 19/06/2014

Amazon has great discounts on Asus Chromeboxes. The base model is now selling for $169.99, down from the original $179. This is a 5% saving around $9. The second model with 4GB RAM and i3 processor also has a great offer. It is now $379.99, down from $399.

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That’s unbelievably cheap!

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Posted by reinkefj

CLOUD: Microsoft updating terms of use and privacy statement

Thursday, June 19, 2014

We’re updating our terms of use and privacy statement.

 

Our users’ needs are at the center of everything we do. That’s why we are updating the Microsoft Services Agreement and providing a Privacy Statement for Windows Services. We want to take this opportunity to highlight some of the key changes and what they mean for you.

 

 

Privacy
As part of our ongoing commitment to respecting your privacy, we won’t use your documents, photos or other personal files or what you say in email, chat, video calls or voice mail to target advertising to you.

 

Transparency
We updated our Code of Conduct so you can better understand the types of behaviors that could affect your account, and added language that parents are responsible for minor children’s use of Microsoft account and services, including purchases.

Simplicity
We tailor our privacy statements for each of our products to help make it easier for you to find the information that is important to you.

 

The Microsoft Services Agreement applies to your Microsoft account and includes many of our customer services such as Outlook.com, OneDrive, and Bing, while the privacy statement explains how your personal information is collected, used and protected across your Microsoft account, Outlook.com and OneDrive.

 

The new updates to these will take effect on July 31, 2014. If you continue to use our services after July 31, 2014, you agree to the updated terms or, if you don’t agree, you can cancel your service at any time.

 

We encourage you to use the links below for further details and to view the full agreements online.

 

Thank you for using Microsoft products and services.

 

Privacy Policy

Microsoft

Microsoft respects your privacy. Review our online Privacy Statement.

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

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Sigh!

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Posted by reinkefj

SOFTWARE: Freeplane for mind mapping

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

https://sourceforge.net/blog/june-2014-project-of-the-month-freeplane/

The Community Choice Project of the Month (POTM) for June is Freeplane, which is an application that supports mind mapping and analyzing information contained in mind maps. Congratulations to the Freeplane project on being voted as the June 2014 Community Choice POTM.

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I love “mind mapping”.

I really don’t understand why it doesn’t become more popular.

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: What’s Shabbos Elevator?

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/sabbath-elevator-object-lesson/372741/

Working Around God: Technology, the Pace of Life, and the Shabbos Elevator
Theology and technology in New York City’s elevators
DOMINIC PETTMANJUN 14 2014, 7:00 AM ET

*** begin quote ***

Why the hold up? I live in a historically Jewish building in New York City. On most days, its two elevators service each section of this rather monolithic structure—just enough to keep up with the flow of residents going up and down. But come Friday evening, one of the cars is switched into Shabbos mode, meaning that it stops at every single floor automatically, backing the tenants up like resentful clogs in beige-yellow arteries. It does so for religious reasons, since many observant Jews avoid pressing electric buttons on Shabbat.

*** end quote ***

Despite growing up in mixed ethnic NYC neighborhood, I never heard of such a thing.

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Posted by reinkefj

UNCATAGORIZED: Rat Woman?

Monday, June 16, 2014

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/ratgirl-breeds-and-releases-thousands-of-rats-in-san-francisco.html

‘RatGirl’ Breeds and Releases Rats in San Francisco
Cherise Udell
June 13, 2014
6:02 am

*** begin quote ***

City officials have identified one possible part of the city’s problem – RatGirl.

According to San Francisco authorities, RatGirl, identified otherwise only as 43-year old Erica J., has been breeding and releasing rats for years throughout San Francisco. She first came to the attention of city authorities in 2011 when Animal Care and Control discovered her closet breeding program in a Minna Street residential hotel in the South of Market neighborhood.

“It was shocking. It was disturbing on a number of levels,” recalled Animal Care & Control Captain Denise BonGiovanni. ”The rats have actually burrowed into other people’s rooms. They can carry disease. They can carry parasites.”

Shortly thereafter the city was forced to exterminate “a thousand” rats from her room and the surrounding area.

“I believe that there’s a serious underlying mental health issue that needs to be addressed,” says BonGiovanni.

*** end quote ***

Seems like it’s criminal behavior rooted in a mental illness. 

Have to get this person into treatment.

I’d be upset if she was in my neighborhood.

It’s a problem that needs a solution.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: They flat-out lied in their summonses

Sunday, June 15, 2014

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140611/flushing/black-man-driving-wife-work-accused-of-being-illegal-cab-driver-lawsuit

Black Man Driving Wife to Work Accused of Being Illegal Cab Driver: Lawsuit
By James Fanelli on June 11, 2014 6:58am

*** begin quote ***

“Once they pulled over my clients, [the investigators] had many opportunities to let them go — to realize they pulled over the wrong people. Instead they doubled down on their mistake. I believe that they flat-out lied in their summonses.”

A city administrative judge eventually ruled in the couple’s favor and dismissed the summonses. However, the TLC kept the Town Car until Palermo won her case on May 16, 2013.

*** end quote ***

Now what penalty is inflicted for “official misconduct”?

And keeping the Town Car?

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POLITICAL: Pension plan underfunding

Saturday, June 14, 2014

http://www.testosteronepit.com/home/2014/6/11/public-pension-plans-boom-and-bubble-forever-or-bust.html

Public Pension Plans: Boom And Bubble Forever Or Bust
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2014 AT 1:28AM

*** begin quote ***

Public pension plans of states and cities have been in a heap of trouble for years. Promises of juicy pensions after a relatively short time on the job, with many decades of life expectancy remaining, are easy for politicians to make and buy votes with, and for unions to demand to please their membership. But they’re a tad expensive to live up to. Some have been involved in bankruptcies of their municipalities, including those of Detroit. Others are headed that way.

*** and ***

The best-case scenario, which is also the base scenario, assumes return on investment is 7.7% for all plan assets combined, for all years to come.

*** and ***

Assuming the unlikely scenario of an eternal return of 7.7% annually, some of these pension funds are in worse trouble than others. A small coterie, like the Louisiana State Parochial Employees fund, is funded over 100%. But most plans are in trouble. Some of the worst sinners: Alaska Teachers with a funded ratio of 47.9%, Connecticut SERS (41.2%), Illinois Teachers (40.6%), Chicago Municipal employees (37.0%), Illinois SERS (34.2%), Chicago Police (30.9%), or Kentucky ERS (25.8%). Some of the sinners are relatively small plans, but several are large, such as the Illinois SERS, Illinois Teachers, and Connecticut SERS. If markets were allowed to swoon, these babies would be wiped out.

*** and ***

And even that miracle, combined with the other miracle, a 7.7% return for all years to come, won’t be enough: it would still leave plans $1.1 trillion underfunded. Alas, if the rate of return drops to 5%, the hole will increase to $3.0 trillion, and plans would only be 50% funded. And at a rate of return of 4.0%, unfunded liabilities would jump to $3.8 trillion, and numerous plans would simply….

Reality is too ugly to contemplate. So now the hope is that the new rules – accounting for stock market surges in the year in which they occur – will trigger big gains immediately and drive up the funded ratios. Better not even think about the possibility that the stock market might stumble from current bubble highs or that a soupçon of chaos in the bond market would slam junk bonds and trigger a wave of defaults.

What these pension plans need in order to be there in the future, the report suggests, is a booming economy year after year and endlessly inflating asset bubbles. Otherwise, forget it.

Wiping out in one fell swoop six years of carefully orchestrated propaganda, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard admitted that the Fed had dropped the ball during the prior bubble that blew up the financial system, and that it’s dropping the ball again during the current bubble. 

*** end quote ***

So what does the average schmoe do?

Plan for pension defaults. Save in commodities. 

Does anyone really believe in 7+% returns forever?

In war movies, you always hear “get small in your hole”. I think that advice is good for fiscal crisis.

Always live modestly. Save in commodities. No “bad” debt; very little “good” debt.

I’m not sure that IRA / 401k is a panacea. I’m in it big time, but the politicians and bureaucrats must be looking at that pot of wealth longingly.

Argh!

YMMV

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