INTERESTING: Execute the Fixler maneuver?

Monday, March 23, 2015

http://www.titleneeded.com/blog/pull-a-fixler?utm_source=99U&utm_campaign=30288d64e6-Weekly_03_13_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bdabfaef00-30288d64e6-145466209

February 6, 2015
Pull a Fixler
Jesse Hertzberg

*** begin quote ***

Five or ten minutes into many meetings at Etsy, Eric Fixler, a senior software engineer at the time, would pick up his stuff and just walk out the door, mumbling something about not being useful here. If he had nothing to contribute, he went and found a better use of his, and our, time… teaching me a valuable lesson along the way.

There is no reason to sit in a meeting to which you add no value. Everyone invited should be there for a reason, and if you are there for a reason, you should be actively contributing, regardless of role or seniority. We hired you for your experience and insight, not to be a wallflower. If you can’t actively contribute to this particular discussion, there should be nothing wrong with leaving. We certainly don’t want to be wasting anyone’s time. Everyone at a startup has a million things to do.

Thus was born The Fixler, a simple and powerful rule: If you are sitting around a conference table and your presence isn’t necessary nor adds value to the others in the room, you may get up, say ‘Fixler’, and walk out without explanation or penalty.

*** end quote ***

Astonishingly simple.

Like when I tried to decree that every meeting had to have roles assigned: Organizer, Facilitator, Scribe, Timekeeper, Wrangler, and Naysayer. 

(Note: the Naysayer was required to find and declare “it’ll never work”, “we’ve tried that before”, or “waste of time” ofter and loudly. Or any other absolutely negative comment.)

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | INTERESTING | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: The FDA is an arm of Big Pharma

Sunday, March 22, 2015

http://nutritionfacts.org/video/do-antidepressant-drugs-really-work/

Do Antidepressant Drugs Really Work?

*** begin quote ***

These revelations hit in 2008—Prozac, Serzone, Paxil, and Effexor—they worked, but so did sugar pills, and the difference between the drug and placebo was small. That was 2008. Where were we by 2014? Analyses of the published data and the unpublished data that were hidden by drug companies reveals that most (if not all) of the benefits of antidepressants are due to the placebo effect.

And what’s even worse, Freedom of Information Act documents show the FDA knew about it but made an explicit decision to keep this information from the public and from prescribing physicians. How could drug companies get away with this?

*** end quote ***

Argh!

And, I have the tin foil hat when I say that the Gooferment is immoral, ineffective, and inefficient?

OK!

Why can’t we shut down the FDA?

Make Big Pharma defend themselves in the free market. Underwriters’ Laboratory, Consumers Union, and a bunch of other free market institutions will keep us safer than the FDA has ever done.

And, look at the side effects.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

1 Comment | GOVEROTRAGEOUS | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TINFOILHAT: Do you NOT doubt the information from the government

Saturday, March 21, 2015

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/03/911-commissioners-didnt-believe-government.html

*** begin quote ***

If the 9/11 Commissioners themselves doubt the information from the government, why should we believe it?

*** end quote ***

What makes anyone think that they “know the truth” about anything?

This blog post cited tugs at the threads of loose ends.

9/11 gave us the “Department of Homeland Security” and, of course, it’s unionized.

If airlines were not on the Federal dole, then they would be accountable for their security decisions.

Instead we get the Gooferment involved in everything.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | TINFOILHAT | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: Why don’t traffic lights fail “safe”?

Friday, March 20, 2015

Advisory: Power Outage – Parts of Monmouth Junction Impacted; Traffic Lights Out on parts of Rt 522 and Route 1

*****************

Just out of curiosity, why don’t traffic lights have a UPS and fail “safe”?

Seems simple enough!

Failure mode is flashing red arrow right?

–30–

Leave a Comment » | INTERESTING | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

CLOUD: Have to find a cloud based text expansion utility

Friday, March 20, 2015

Does such a thing exist?

–30–

Leave a Comment » | CLOUD | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

INSPIRATIONAL: Separation of Gooferment and Education!

Friday, March 20, 2015

http://zenpencils.com/comic/kenrobinson/

162. SIR KEN ROBINSON: Full body education
By Gav on October 10, 2014

*** begin quote ***

Sir Ken Robinson is a leading authority on education and creativity. A former professor of education, he now advises governments and businesses around the world and is one of the most sought-after speakers on education. The quotes used in the comic are taken from Robinson’s now-famous 2006 TED talk How schools kill creativity. It is the most viewed TED talk ever, and also one of the funniest in my opinion (gotta love that dry British humour). If you haven’t seen it, then stop what you’re doing and go watch it.

Robinson explains that the school system was invented in the 19th century to meet the needs of rapid industrialisation and is extremely outdated, focusing way too much on left-brain academic learning. “If you think of it, the whole system of public education around the world is a protracted process of university entrance. And the consequence is that many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not, because the thing they were good at at school wasn’t valued, or was actually stigmatised.”

He gives the example of Gillian Lynne, a world-renowned dancer and choreographer, who as a student was terrible at school and most likely would have been diagnosed with ADHD today. Luckily, a specialist noticed that Lynne wouldn’t sit still and was naturally dancing to the music playing in the office and suggested to Lynne’s mother that she send the child to dance school. (Robinson explains it a lot better than I just typed it).

*** end quote ***

Gooferment Skrules are for a time that has past. 

We need to separate Gooferment and Education!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | INSPIRATIONAL | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

CLOUD: Move to the cloud

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Finally, I’ve going to move off the Apple and Microsoft infrastructure and on to the “cloud”.

Will be looking for alternatives to take the things I do to the cloud.

“Blundering along”

Laff.

The Chromebook and chromebox have imho won the cheap thin client hardware battle.

Have to see if there are any problems?

–30–

Leave a Comment » | CLOUD | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

RANT: Yet another example of the irreversibility of the death penalty

Thursday, March 19, 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/letter-from-witness-casts-further-doubt-on-2004-texas-execution/2015/03/09/d9ebdab8-c451-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html

A dad was executed for deaths of his 3 girls. Now a letter casts more doubt.
By Maurice Possley, The Marshall Project March 9

*** begin quote ***

CORSICANA, Tex. — More than a decade after Cameron Todd Willingham was executed for the arson murder of his three young daughters, new evidence has emerged that indicates that a key prosecution witness testified in return for a secret promise to have his own criminal sentence reduced.

In a previously undisclosed letter that the witness, Johnny E. Webb, wrote from prison in 1996, he urged the lead prosecutor in Willingham’s case to make good on what Webb described as an earlier promise to downgrade his conviction. Webb also hinted that he might make his complaint public.

Within days, the prosecutor, John H. Jackson, sought out the Navarro County judge who had handled Willingham’s case and came away with a court order that altered the record of Webb’s robbery conviction to make him immediately eligible for parole. Webb would later recant his testimony that Willingham confessed to setting his house on fire with the toddlers inside.

*** end quote ***

As a pro-life pro-choice little L libertarian, here’s a great example of the Gooferment being immoral, ineffective, and inefficient!

Why bother with trials?

Just let the Gooferment kill whomever it wants.

Saved the taxpayers a lot of unnecessary expense.

Argh!

How can anyone not be outraged.

Life without parole is the best that society can do. We are not all-knowing gods.

Bring back Devil’s Island, Alcatraz, and such.

At least then when the mistake is made, there is some possibility to make amends.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

1 Comment | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

SECURITY: Unauthorized iPad and iPhone

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

http://www.judicialwatch.org/blog/2015/03/state-dept-source-hillary-likely-used-unauthorized-ipad-iphone-as-sec-of-state/

State Dept. Source: Hillary Likely Used Unauthorized iPad, iPhone as Sec. of State
MARCH 10, 2015

*** begin quote ***

Clinton’s persistent efforts to persuade the State Department’s technology security experts to approve the use of her favorite Apple devices led those in the division to conclude that she did in fact go through with it. “My guess is she did it and wanted approval after the fact,” JW’s source said. “But no waivers were ever issued.” JW reached out to the State Department for a comment on this latest potential scandal surrounding its former leader, but failed to get a response.

*** end quote ***

For the “little people”, you do this and you get fired.

For the “big people”, “what difference does it make?”

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

 

Lead Independent Director of Tiptree Financial 

Leave a Comment » | SECURITY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

RANT: Nothing about age?

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

FROM A RECENT ONLINE JOB AD I SAW

“All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status. EEO/AA/M/F/Disabled/Vets”

# – # – # – # – # 

I guess fat old white guy injineers can be discriminated on by age?

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Against the use of military force

Monday, March 16, 2015

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/11/open-letter-to-members-congress-about-authorization-to-use-military-force/?intcmp=ob_homepage_opinion&intcmp=obnetwork

Ten reasons to vote against the use of military force
By Rep. Dennis Kucinich
Published March 11, 2015 FoxNews.com

*** begin quote ***

7. A Solution: Follow ISIS’ money, and shut it down.Where is ISIS getting its money? Up to 100,000 ISIS fighters are funded by Gulf State donors, identified in the past as being from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait. Fully equipping and providing for one modern combat-ready soldier can cost $850,000 to $1,000,000 a year. ISIS’ army could be gaining $85 billion to $100 billion a year from various sources. We can either commit the U.S. military to another war, and the U.S. to further risk of impending attacks through the genesis of a new crusade, or we can fight this threat with intelligent power and high technology.

The administration must identify the specific sources of ISIS’ money, the individuals, the nations and the means of transfer, and shut them all down. It must sanction countries and individuals, tie up their bank accounts and commercial activities, freeze their assets and cancel their credit cards. Send platoons of accountants from the Treasury Department and the IRS into the fray, not platoons of U.S. soldiers. The U.S. must track oil sales, sales of antiquities and other valuables. Anyone involved in any transactions of any kind with ISIS must be identified and sanctioned. 

*** end quote ***

I don’t often agree with a Liberal Leftie, but in this case, I think he’s correct.

“Not my monkey; not my circus.”

The fact that our alledged ally, Saudi Arabia, is funding this to keep their own power is crazy.

Bring the girls and boys home. Tell the “bad guys”, you “mess with us and we’ll nuke ya”!

Argh!

Dona Nobis Pacem

# – # – # – # – # 

1 Comment | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Amtrak operating “without official funding authorization”?

Monday, March 16, 2015

http://www.economics21.org/commentary/PRRIA-2015-amtrak-reform-subsidies-privatization-2015-03-06

Amtrak Bill Continues History of Wasted Subsidies
Matthew Sabas | 03/06/2015 

*** begin quote ***

Four Decades of Failure

Congressional Republicans were elected on a platform of cutting spending, but taxpayers will continue to pay for Amtrak’s losses for at least 5 more years if a bill that just passed the House becomes law. Can’t Congress do better?

Amtrak has cost the government over $45 billion in subsidies over the last 44 years, allowing it to finance the upkeep of unprofitable routes, overstaffed trains, and the mismanagement of its food services.

The bipartisan Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 would subsidize Amtrak by an estimated $7 billion from 2016 to 2020. It passed the House by 316 votes to 101 votes on Wednesday and is now headed to the Senate and, presumably, President Obama’s signature. Amtrak has been operating without official funding authorization since the previous bill expired in October 2013.

*** end quote ***

How can it operate without an “official funding authorization”?

Why pass anything?

It’s a sad state of affairs just how “law-less” we have become.

The Dead Old White Guys must be rolling over!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | GOVEROTRAGEOUS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

SECESSION: NY towns want to move to PA

Sunday, March 15, 2015

http://nhindependence.org/video-southern-tier-towns-looking-to-cut-ny-ties/

Southern Tier towns looking to cut NY ties
Posted on Mar 6, 2015

*** begin quote ***

The local economy is pushing one organization in Upstate New York to pose a question: Is it possible to secede to Pennsylvania?The Upstate New York Towns Association is researching this very topic. The group says a few factors pushing its research are high property taxes, low sales tax revenue and the recent decision to ban hydraulic fracturing in New York.“The Southern Tier is desolate,” said Conklin Town Supervisor Jim Finch (R). “We have no jobs and no income. The richest resource we have is in the ground.”Finch said the ground in Conklin is rich with natural gas in the Marcellus Shale. However, that shale is unable to be tapped. He described this ban as a violation of his natural rights as a property owner.

*** end quote ***

This is a good sign.

Vote with your feet if you can.

Vote to secede if you can’t.

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | SECESSION | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: A gold Drachma?

Saturday, March 14, 2015

http://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/frank-hollenbeck/deadly-government-labs/

Five Steps to Fixing Greece’s Debt Problem
By Frank HollenbeckMises.org
March 5, 2015

*** begin quote ***

Step Five: Fix the New Drachma to Gold

Gold has many drawbacks, but gold’s primary advantage lies in the fact that it constrains current and future governments from using the printing presses to finance government expenditures. Once the tie to the euro is broken, Greece should then fix its new currency to gold. Even though Greece has no significant gold reserves, it can follow the example of Germany in 1923 when a broke Germany slowly returned to a gold standard by first fixing its money to non-gold commodities (i.e., rye bread in the German case).

By instituting true austerity and freeing the banking sector from the euro and the EU, Greece could go from being the example to avoid to the example to emulate in a relatively short period of time. With such a financial structure, Greece would benefit from long-term financial and economic stability. It would force Greece to make hard choices up front, thus avoiding later problems in the first place.

*** end quote ***

I’d want some of them. Or any hard money currency tied to something!

As a non-enconmist, I’d assume that there would be a capital inflow with a hard money currency.

Akin to the Swiss Franc, that’s becoming a proxy for a strong fiat currency.

And, if Russia or China do it, then that is the end of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency.

Whatever happened to the gold dinar?

Remember what happened to Saddam when he made noises about wanting to be paid in gold for his oil?

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | MONEY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Government Labs need pruning

Friday, March 13, 2015

http://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/felix-bronstein/deadly-government-labs-2/

I’m From A Government Lab, And I’m Here To Help You
By Felix Bronstein
March 5, 2015

*** begin quote ***

Among other things, FBI’s handling of evidence in such cases as the Oklahoma City and the 1993 World Trade Center bombings was criticized.  The investigation came about as a result of a whistleblower, Frederic Whitehurst, Supervisory Special Agent in the FBI Crime Lab.  In 2003, an investigation by the Associated Press showed that “the FBI lab, which reformed itself after a mid-1990s scandal over bad science, is grappling with new problems that have opened its work on lead bullets and DNA analysis to challenges … .”  The IG began an investigation, which eventually broadened to the FBI’s DNA analysis unit.  In May of 2003, a man who spent 10 years in prison had his conviction overturned “because an FBI scientific expert gave inaccurate testimony and withheld evidence.”  In the summer of 2003, the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility began investigating its crime lab’s chief of scientific analysis, Steven Burmeister, regarding his conduct in the Oklahoma City bombing case.  Burmeister initially claimed that the crime lab mishandled evidence, but then retracted that statement, allegedly under pressure.  In July of 2014, it was revealed that the task force the Department of Justice created in 1996 to identify cases involving “fabricating evidence and reaching conclusions unsupported by science” and other mishandling by the FBI acted very slowly.  A number of defendants were never informed that their convictions were based on such evidence, and at least 3 death row inmates were executed before they could be informed of this.  “Nearly every criminal case reviewed …  as part of [an] investigation started in 2012 of problems at the FBI lab has included flawed forensic testimony from the agency.”  The FBI then stopped the review of its hair and fiber analysis unit until the July 2014 report came out.

In November of 2014, charges against several defendants were dismissed and prison sentences were vacated as a result of an FBI agent allegedly “tampering with drug and gun evidence.”  In December of 2014, an audit revealed that “F.B.I. agents in every region of the country have mishandled, mislabeled and lost evidence.”  Also in December, a General Accounting Office inquiry found that the “FBI’s genetic tests didn’t nail anthrax killer.”  This corroborated prior investigations that found problems with how the FBI and its lab concluded that Bruce Ivins was the Amerithrax killer.

Perhaps the next time someone states that we must always only look to the federal government when truly important matters of science, safety, objectivity, justice, national security and transparency are concerned, one may take a pause, and consider these (and other similar) cases.

*** end quote ***

I have long ranted that the Gooferment is immoral, ineffective, and inefficient.

Here’s another example.

How do we shut this stuff down?

Does anyone believe anything that comes from them?

I don’t.

I used to. 

But, they have lost ALL credibility.

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | GOVEROTRAGEOUS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: End the Government’s Postal Monopoly

Thursday, March 12, 2015

http://www.cato.org/blog/after-eight-years-losses-end-governments-postal-monopoly

MARCH 2, 2015 4:34PM
After Eight Years of Losses, End the Government’s Postal Monopoly
By DOUG BANDOW

*** begin quote ***

The United States Postal Service lost $5.5 billion last year. That is the eighth annual loss in a row and the third highest ever. The only good news is that it remains below the red ink tsunami of $15.9 billion in 2012.

Why does the federal government deliver the mail? Why does it have a monopoly over delivering the mail?

The Postal Service one of the few government programs with actual constitutional warrant. Alas, America’s revolutionaries turned the system into a fount of federal patronage.  Local postmasters became perhaps the president’s most important appointments. The Postmaster General was a member of the Cabinet from 1829 to 1971.

*** end quote ***

Obviously, it’s a patronage boondoggle.

End the monopoly now.

Interesting that the PO is using FedEx and UPS to deliver to the PO’s and FedEx and UPS are using UPS to deliver to end Users.

Stop it all now.

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

RANT: OU expells two students for leading a racist chant; shreds the First Amendment!

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/03/10/what-speech-is-going-to-justify-expulsion-next/

The Volokh Conspiracy
What speech is going to justify expulsion next?
By Eugene Volokh March 10 at 2:14 PM  

*** begin quote ***

Oklahoma University President David Boren has expelled two students for leading a racist chant. These students’ speech was indeed quite repugnant, but for reasons I discuss here, it’s protected by the First Amendment.

*** end quote ***

“America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can’t just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the “land of the free”.” — President Andrew Shepherd played by Michael Douglas in “The American President” (1995)

Seems pretty OBVIOUS:

(1) Oklahoma University is a Gooferment Skrule!

(2) The OU Prez punished the students and the frat for their speech.

The First Amendment has been violated!

Using the liberal’s favorite movie, “defend that”!

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TINFOILHAT: FBI declares its unconstitutional domestic spying program “secret”

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

http://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/03/no_author/the-okc-bombing-coverup/

Are FBI Informants Working Inside America’s Churches?
By Bob McCarty
BobMcCarty.com
March 3, 2015

*** begin quote ***

“The FBI argues that the discovery (he) seeks would be futile since ‘illegal’ activity by the federal government is shielded from disclosure under FOIA if covered by an exemption.”

He went on to question how the FBI can, in good faith, claim that a national security exemption allows the Bureau to declare its unconstitutional domestic spying program “secret” and, in turn, allows them to keep their illegal activities hidden from the public.

“It is an absurd — no, arrogant — position for the FBI to take,” he said

*** end quote ***

One has to assume that there are secret Gooferment programs to spy on “We, The Sheeple”.

The question is when does surveillance turn into instigation?

It’s a violation of the Fourth Amendment.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | TINFOILHAT | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Where’s the Grand Jury for HRC’s email?

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2988099/Hillary-Clinton-finally-address-email-controversy-today-reports-say-DAYS-silence.html

I’ve deleted all my personal emails and the server will remain private: Hillary Clinton reveals HALF her inbox has not been handed over and says she used one account for convenience
Clinton made peace with the public after her speech to the U.N.
Only acknowledgement of the email controversy had been through a spokesman and a single tweet
Former Secretary of State’s spokesman said Clinton had complied with in ‘both the letter and spirit of the rules’
Her tweet called on the State Department to make public the 55,000 pages of messages her team turned over
Even after the presser questions lingered about Clinton’s use of a private server, which she said would remain out of the government’s grasp
Clinton is reportedly looking to launch her presidential campaign on April 1
By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 08:31 EST, 10 March 2015 | UPDATED: 14:59 EST, 10 March 2015

*** begin quote ***

Hillary Clinton addressed her use of a private email system during her four years at the State Department during a news conference today in New York City, ending her days long silence on the issue.Clinton explained that she used a personal email address so that she didn’t have to carry around two phones or two devices.’I saw it as a matter of convenience, it was allowed, others had done it,’ she said during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.Clinton insisted that she had turned over all of her work-related emails to the State Department  – which constituted about half of her inbox – and suggested that she deleted messages that were strictly personal in nature so that they did not become public.  She later made it sound as her personal communications remain on a private server that she shares with husband Bill, however, and told reporters that she would not give the government access to her personal property.

*** end quote ***

Sounds like she has committed two felonies and perhaps perjury.

Federal Records Retention Act — twice.

Swear on the State Department exit form under oath?

Argh!

If David Petraeus convicted for classified leaks, then it’s only fair to treat HRC the same?

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | GOVEROTRAGEOUS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

TINFOILHAT: Why MH370 hasn’t been found?

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/02/jeff-wise-mh370-theory.html?utm_source=pocket&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pockethits

How crazy am I to thinkI actually know where that Malaysia Airlines plane is?

** Kinda crazy. (But also maybe right?)

*** begin quote ***

In the year since the vanishing of MH370, I appeared on CNN more than 50 times, watched my spouse’s eyes glaze over at dinner, and fell in with a group of borderline-obsessive amateur aviation sleuths. A million theories bloomed, including my own.

*** and ***

The International Business Times headlined its story “MH370: Russia’s Grand Plan to Provoke World War III, Says Independent Investigator” and linked directly to the Putin part. Somehow, the airing of my theory helped quell my obsession. My gut still tells me I’m right, but my brain knows better than to trust my gut.

Last month, the Malaysian government declared that the aircraft is considered to have crashed and all those aboard are presumed dead. Malaysia’s transport minister told a local television station that a key factor in the decision was the fact that the search mission for the aircraft failed to achieve its objective. Meanwhile, new theories are still being hatched.

*** end quote ***

This writer seems to make a cogent case why MH370 hasn’t been found.

But, I’m sure anyone who has any theory will be labeled a tin foil hat!

So far, this seems the most reasonable explanation.

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | TINFOILHAT | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: Why shouldn’t Americans be able to defend themselves?

Monday, March 9, 2015

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/02/24/guns-and-new-york-times-why-shouldnt-americans-be-able-to-defend-themselves/?intcmp=ob_homepage_opinion&intcmp=obnetwork

SECOND AMENDMENT
Guns and the New York Times: Why shouldn’t Americans be able to defend themselves?
By Dr. John R. Lott Jr. Published February 24, 2015 FoxNews.com

*** begin quote ***

Gun control advocates just can’t accept the fact that concealed handgun permit holders are incredibly law-abiding.  The New York Times’ recent attack on permit holders is typical.  It is filled with triple-counting of legitimate self-defense cases. Murders or suicides by permit holders are blamed on guns, even when no gun was involved.  In point of fact, permit holders are incredibly law-abiding.  Some new evidence puts things in perspective.

*** end quote ***

Indeed, why does the Gooferment get to decide who can defend themselves?

And, permit holders are more law abiding than police!

That’s a interesting factoid.

Of course, the liberal media spins, slants, and misreports to propagandize “We, The Sheeple”.

That’s to be expected.

Hence, one becomes extremely cynical of everything and everybody.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | GUNS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: The Seventeenth turned the USA from “these United States”

Sunday, March 8, 2015

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/03/who-should-select-senators/386489/

Who Should Select Senators?
A century after the Seventeenth Amendment transferred that power to the voters, legislatures and governors are devising new ways to retain it for themselves.
GARRETT EPPSMAR 1 2015, 9:18 AM ET

*** begin quote ***

There are a lot of reasons that I love the Seventeenth Amendment, which transferred the power to elect senators from state legislatures to ordinary voters.

Its passage was one of the most sweeping progressive victories in American history—public fury so intimidated reactionary lawmakers in the Senate that, by approving the Amendment, they in effect voted their own body out of existence.

A second reason is that in the past two decades, new redistricting techniques have allowed state legislatures to create unshakably safe House districts for their members. (Because Republicans controlled a majority of legislatures after the 2010 census, most Republican seats are as safe as Brezhnev’s old spot on the Politburo.) But those techniques are useless when elections must take in the entire state; as a result, a small group of Senate candidates must at least pretend to represent both red and blue voters.

*** end quote ***

I OTOH would like to repeal the Seventeenth completely.

Why?

Unintended Consequences!

By removing the State Legislatures from the “State’s Senate choice”, it eliminated a critical feedback loop in the Federalism design of the Dead Old White Guys.

And, as is true with most “improvements” to the Dead Old White Guys’ design, this too is flawed.

Remember, the Dead Old White Guys wanted government as close as possible.

(That movie quote caught the spirit: “Would you tell me please, Mr. Howard, why should I trade one tyrant three thousand miles away for three thousand tyrants one mile away? An elected legislature can trample a man’s rights as easily as a king can.” Mel Gibson as the character Benjamin Martin in the movie The Patriot http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187393/quotes)

So, the Seventeenth permitted unfunded mandates on the States.

And, basically turned the USA from “these United States” into “the United State”.

Argh!

In addition, the conduct of Senators was closely monitored by the the States. Do something undignified and you were recalled. Do something criminal and you were recalled. Do vote for something that hurt your State and you were recalled.

And, guess what? Hillary becomes the Senator from Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerk. Corzine pays of the D party bosses and becomes the Senator from the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee. Carpet bagging par excellence. All of course voted for by the pee-pull.

Give me a break.

The Seventeenth, like most “progressive” legislation, has given us tyranny!

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GUNS: The Best Gun For Women? One she’ll have with her to use

Saturday, March 7, 2015

http://www.thedailysheeple.com/best-gun-for-women-some-things-to-consider_032015

Best Gun For Women – Some Things To Consider

# – # – # – # – # 

IF you’re afraid, then some practice should help.

IF you think you’ll never need it, then I pray you’re right.

IF you think no one should ever have a gun, then you just don’t understand that it’s a dangerous world out there.

“Victim disarmament is the view that it is somehow better to see a woman raped in an alley and strangled with her own pantyhose, than see her with a gun in her hand.” — T.D. Melrose

From your hopefully favorite little L libertarian tin foil hat.

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | GUNS | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: Don’t be a “source of inconvenient truth”

Friday, March 6, 2015

Surviving (and Thriving) After a Layoff
8 things to know and prepare for–emotionally and professionally
Jan 8th 2015 1:35PM

# – # – # – # – # 

I saved this, because I knew it was coming sooner or later.

# – # – # – # – # 

*** begin quote ***

1. It is personal. Despite what others may tell you, it really is about you. If you were so essential to the survival of your organization, you wouldn’t have been let go. Accept this as fact and move on.

2. It probably had to do with income. It’s possible that some part of the reason you lost your job is your age, but more than likely it’s because you made more money than your junior colleagues. Employers often figure: Why let go of two lower-paid employees when we can get rid of just a single, senior one? That doesn’t make the loss any sweeter, but it does allow us to keep more of our sense of dignity.

3. Work friendship is fleeting. After you leave the workplace, you’ll miss not only the place and the work (not to mention the steady income and benefits), but also the people. It’s likely that you and your co-workers formed close relationships, especially if you were there for a long time. Be forewarned: often those close relationships are close only through the workplace. You’ll feel ditched by these former friends when they don’t call, write or keep in touch. It happens more often than we like. Two years after my layoff, I still felt hurt when my former friends didn’t reach out or even respond to my calls.

*** end quote ***

I think it is MORE than personal.

If you are viewed as a threat to the “establishment” or a more powerful fiefdom, then “downsizing”, “RIF”, or “job elimination” are great excuse to eliminate an “source of inconvenient truth”.

Keep that in mind, and it hurts a little less.

Very little.

If you are, keep your resume updated. And, your eyes clear.

# – # – # – # – # 

Leave a Comment » | JOBSEARCH | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

INSPIRATIONAL: Bishop Egan reminded me of Bishop Sheen

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Cardinal Egan, Former Catholic Archbishop of New York, Dead at 82
Edward Michael Egan, the ninth archbishop of New York, died Thursday afternoon of cardiac arrest, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

He was 82 years old. From 1985 to 1988, he served as auxiliary bishop and vicar for education of the Archdiocese of New York. He served as bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., for 12 years before becoming Archbishop of New York in May 2000.

# – # – # – # – # 

I’m not a big Church guy.

I literally ran into him by Saint Pat’s as we were crossing the street by Saint Pat’s.

I immediately recognized him with the simple gold chain.

I sputtered “I’m most sorry Your Eminence”.

He smiled and said: No problem, my child, I am sure we were both absorbed in our Rosaries.” 

To which, I replied: “Fraid not; although do I get partial credit for having mine.” As I whipped mine out of my suit jacket. 

His response: “Well, I think it;s like car keys, you have to use it.”

He touched my forehead with the Bishop’s cross as was on his way.

He was the second Bishop I’d ever met that did that. Do they learn that in “bishop school”?

Funny the things one remembers.

Requiescat In Pacem

With sadness.

# – # – # – # – # 

1 Comment | INSPIRATIONAL | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” causes accidental poisonings or overdoses

Thursday, March 5, 2015

http://cafehayek.com/2015/02/quotation-of-the-day-1277.html

Quotation of the Day…
by DON BOUDREAUX on FEBRUARY 28, 2015
in DINNER TABLE ECONOMICS, NANNY STATE, SEEN AND UNSEEN

*** begin quote ***

… is from page 16 of Jeffrey Miron’s excellent 2004 monograph, Drug War Crimes:

Under legalization, the incidence of accidental poisonings or overdoses would not be zero, just as it is not zero for currently legal goods such as alcohol. But the rate of such incidents would decline significantly, since consumers would know the potency of the drugs they consume and have far greater confidence that the drugs contained the desired ingredients rather than unknown contaminants.

*** end quote ***

What is imho the biggest Unintended Consequence of the “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” is that “children” die.

Yeah, I know they are sort of “young adults”, but in so many ways they are like “children”.

They have been denied the “experiences of life” by our over-protective infantilization of their “life’s non-experiences”. 

Think about what life was like for the American “youth” from the Dead Old White Guys to say 1980’s.

Life was tough. Hard work. Discipline — either self or externally imposed. Dirty work for any wages was valued. 

Now think about since then — undereducated in Gooferment Skrules where feelings count more than results. Virtually unlimited food for just being there. Entertainment to the exclusion of any “earnings”.

So why are we surprised when they die of overdoses and “rat poison” in “kool illegal drugs”?

Ending the war on drug, just as when (Alcohol) Prohibition ended, makes what was “illegal and kool” not so much any more.

Going to buy your “drugs” at Walmart, Walgreens, or RiteAid does quite feel the same. It’s equivalent to in the 50’s going to a strange drug store where no one knew you to buy condoms. (Not that I ever had to do that.) 

But think about “safety”. Do you think that your local Walmart pharmacy will give you “hot shots” or a drug cut with strychnine?

And imagine that it would come with a “health safety warning” that list where you can go for free help to get clean?

And, imaging that it will cost about as much as aspirin. You can have a “habit” and keep a job, just like the pre-drug war days.

Of course, it does bring about the unemployment question — drug lords, drug gangs, police, prison guards, politicians, and bureaucrats will all have to find new lines of work. 

But what’s wrong with that?

Argh!

# – # – # – # – # 

1 Comment | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »