RANT: Bankruptcy for States

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/smash-the-union-thug-ocracy/

SMASH THE UNION THUG-OCRACY
By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann
11.8.2010

*** begin quote ***

One of the first orders of business to come up in the new Republican-controlled House of Representatives will be the demand for bailouts of states where expenditures have been especially profligate – California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, and Connecticut. Throughout 2009 and 2010, these states governments have stayed above water by repeated infusions of federal cash. These one-shot stimulus payments must be repeated each year. They are all non-recurring expenditures requiring separate annual appropriations.
The Republican House must say no and hold the line, stopping this raid on the federal Treasury. The cry in the caucus must ring loud: “No More Bailouts!”
But, as the Republicans demand fiscal discipline and refuse to make the citizens of the other, more responsible states subsidize the wayward finances of California and New York, we need to focus on the union power that has forced states, localities, and school boards to raise taxes, borrow money, and – ultimately – to depend on federal bailouts.

These unions have forced contracts on their states, localities, and school boards which provide for ever higher wages, benefits, and pensions. Even now, teachers are on strike in a suburb of Pittsburgh because they feel a 4.5% annual wage increase is inadequate!

*** end quote ***

This should be interesting.

One thing in a “corporate bankruptcy” is that past contracts are broken. Everyone gets a haircut. Pensions get dumped on the Federal Gooferment at a greatly reduced level; ask the Delta pilots about that.

It will be interesting.

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

GAMBLING: Borgata changes its comp formula

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

After a recent trip to Borgata in AC, my wife earned no comp dollars. That was strange. She played her “mystery slot dollars”, “bonus slot dollars”, and “slot dollars”. Actually turned out she actually made some money. She originally thought there was something wrong with her card.

By an experiment, we demonstrated that there was nothing wrong with her card.

Just that you NOW only get comps on what you play through their machines. And, it appears to be on a greatly reduced basis.

I’m going to try and quantify just how far they have “dialed” it back.

Argh!

# # # # #

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

POLITICAL: BHO and “middle class” tax hikes

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

President Obama, at a news conference, at the end of the G-20 Summit on Friday, said: “I want to make sure that taxes don’t go up for middle class families starting on January 1st.”

He’s either a fool, a liar, or both!

What does he think has been going on? Does he really believe that taxes haven’t gone up.

Cigarettes? The devaluation of the dollar. Insurance.

Does he have any grasp of economics?

Or is he just the “teleprompter president”, who reads whatever “barbara streisand” is displayed for him by his handlers?

Argh!

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | Political | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

HARDWARE: MacBookAir is more like Windoze that folks admit

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

An observation: my macbookair is “slowing down”.

I assume this is an example of “crud buildup”. In Windoze, the registry is the source of all crud. Over time, for inexplicable reasons, the hardware just gets tired. Random slowdowns, lockups, crashes all eventually leading to the dreaded “bare metal restore”. Think voluntary suicide. A metal lobotomy. Starting over, … maybe. Who knows what exactly you will lose.

One of my reasons for trying the MacBookAir was the reputation for … stability.

Sorry, but I think I need a bare metal restore here on McBa.

It’s not going to be pretty. What will I lose?

This is one of the reasons I don’t recommend Apple.

Argh!

# # # # #

4 Comments | HARDWARE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

RANT: The TSA has really carried “security theater” to molestation and porn!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

http://johnnyedge.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-events-took-place-roughly-between.html

13 November 2010
TSA encounter at SAN

*** begin quote ***

These events took place roughly between 5:30 and 6:30 AM, November 13th in Terminal 2 of the San Diego International Airport. I’m writing this approximately 2 1/2 hours after the events transpired, and they are correct to the best of my recollection. I will admit to being particularly fuzzy on the exact order of events when dealing with the agents after getting my ticket refunded; however, all of the events described did occur.

*** and ***

At this point, I thought it was all over. I began to make my way to the stairs to exit the airport, when I was approached by another man in slacks and a sport coat. He was accompanied by the officer that had escorted me to the ticketing area and Mr. Silva. He informed me that I could not leave the airport. He said that once I start the screening in the secure area, I could not leave until it was completed. Having left the area, he stated, I would be subject to a civil suit and a $10,000 fine. I asked him if he was also going to fine the 6 TSA agents and the local police officer who escorted me from the secure area. After all, I did exactly what I was told. He said that they didn’t know the rules, and that he would deal with them later. They would not be subject to civil penalties. I then pointed to Mr. Silva and asked if he would be subject to any penalties. He is the agents’ supervisor, and he directed them to escort me out. The man informed me that Mr. Silva was new and he would not be subject to penalties, either. He again asserted the necessity that I return to the screening area. When I asked why, he explained that I may have an incendiary device and whether or not that was true needed to be determined. I told him that I would submit to a walk through the metal detector, but that was it; I would not be groped. He told me that their procedures are on their website, and therefore, I was fully informed before I entered the airport; I had implicitly agreed to whatever screening they deemed appropriate. I told him that San Diego was not listed on the TSA’s website as an airport using Advanced Imaging Technology, and I believed that I would only be subject to the metal detector. He replied that he was not a webmaster, and I asked then why he was referring me to the TSA’s website if he didn’t know anything about it. I again refused to re-enter the screening area.

*** end quote ***

Wonder when “We, The Sheeple” will remember the Fourth Amendment?

# # # # #

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

FUN: Original Adventure

Monday, November 15, 2010

http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/225/Adventure.html

*** begin quote ***

“You are standing at the end of a road before a small brick building. Around you is a forest. A small stream flows out of the building and down a gully…..”

That’s the beginning. The beginning of Adventure, also known as Colossal Cave, but also the beginning of adventure games as we know them today.

This title, being a historic game, also has an interesting history. In 1973 its creator, Bill Crowther, was a developer involved in the creation of ARPAnet. He and his wife used to be enthusiast spelunkers, as well as regular Dungeons and Dragons players.

In their spare time, the Crowthers explored and mapped portions of the Mammoth and Flint Ridge cave systems in Kentucky for the Cave Research Foundation.

During this period, the couple split up. To be nearer to his two daughters, Crowther decided to write a program for their amusement. A simulation of this cave he explored, mixed with elements from his fantasy roleplaying. They enjoyed it a lot, and the game was passed from friend to friend during the early days of the internet.

Eventually, in 1976, programmer Don Woods found a copy, enjoyed it as well, and contacted Crowther to ask whether he could expand it. Crowther gave his permission. So Woods, who loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy, added some typical Tolkien elements such as Elves, Trolls and even a volcano (inspired by Mount Doom). The game was then completed as we know it today.

*** end quote ***

Boy, I loved that game. Played on an old TI with the thermal paper. Made maps and charts. It was a hit with all the injineers. Sigh! Lost youth.

# # # # #

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

INTERESTING: Engaged in a huge number of species-wide social experiments?

Monday, November 15, 2010

http://web.docuticker.com/go/docubase/61784

Premarital cohabitation and divorce: Support for the “Trial Marriage” Theory?
November 7, 2010 18:50
Source: Demographic Research

*** begin quote ***

   A number of studies show that premarital cohabitation is associated with an increased risk of subsequent marital dissolution. Some argue that this is a consequence of selection effects and that once these are controlled for premarital cohabitation has no effect on dissolution. We examine the effect of premarital cohabitation on subsequent marital dissolution by using rich retrospective life-history data from Austria. We model union formation and dissolution jointly to control for unobserved selectivity of cohabiters and non-cohabiters. Our results show that those who cohabit prior to marriage have a higher risk of marital dissolution. However, once observed and unobserved characteristics are controlled for, the risks of marital dissolution for those who cohabit prior to marriage are significantly lower than for those who marry directly. The finding that premarital cohabitation decreases the risk of marital separation provides support for the “trial marriage” theory.

*** end quote ***

Now, I’m just a fat old white guy injineer but it would seem that “We, The People” are engaged in a huge number of species-wide social experiments. Abortion, same-sex marriage, sex selection, trial marriage, single mother households, serial monogomy, serial marriage, multigenerational welfare “farming”, Prohibition, Welfare/Warfare Statism, Theocracy, Socialism, Communism (although I’d be hard pressed to define it), genocidal tribal warfare, and on an on. Just name a few off the top of my head.

And, most of them, if not all, in some way trace back to he Gooferment. (It truly is the root of all evil. The Serpent in Garden of evil wasn’t a snake; it was a politician.) Before we try to remake the face of the Earth in the vision of Al Gore, before we change civil society, before we collapse under the weight of debt, before we throw away generations of accumulated wisdom, we should have an idea for what we want to accomplish.

Isn’t the medical adage, “First do no harm”, appropriate here?

# # # # #

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

TINFOILHAT: Thinking about TFHs and the Kennedy Assasination

Sunday, November 14, 2010

The TFH (tin foil hat) category of this blog presents dikw (i.e., data, information, knowledge, wisdom) based in part on theory, observation, experience, and conjecture. While this is not a court of law, I defer to the great American Jurist, Judge Judy, “if doesn’t make sense, it’s not true”. The purpose here is to suggest some possible explanations, but not necessarily the only ones, to the phenomena we observe. Theory and conjecture should always welcome and encouraged. Of course, the best evidence is a repeatable experiment that the reader can perform to authenticate findings of fact. All else is not as good. But, unfortunately, life requires us to move forward on incomplete, inaccurate, and inconclusive information. But we tread lightly where we are unsure.

So why isn’t the Kennedy Assassination kill shot reproducible? A crappy rifle, an angle, an elevation, a moving target, and wind? Judge judy should examine this case. It doesn’t make sense.

# # # # #

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Did-Irish-born-William-Greer-cause-JFKs-death-107915254.html

Did Irish-born William Greer cause JFK’s death?
New book revives role of JFK’s driver in Dallas
Published Sunday, November 14, 2010, 7:16 AM
Updated Sunday, November 14, 2010, 7:16 AM

*** begin quote ***

The new book on the assassination of John F. Kennedy by Clint Hill, the secret service agent closest to him on the day, also focuses attention on another member of that service detail the driver of JFK’s car that day, William Greer, a native of Tyrone, Ireland.

Greer’s actions that day remain controversial, so much so that some crazed conspiracy buffs have claimed that he was the one to shoot Kennedy because he was an Ulster Protestant who disliked Kennedy’s Catholic faith — a fact his son admitted to.

*** end quote ***

Citing Judge Judy, this all doesn’t make sense. We may never know the truth, but it certainly is NOT the official story.

# # # # #

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

IPAD: Apple wants control

Sunday, November 14, 2010

EMAIL WITH Prof P

Re: Jasper Jottings for the IPAD

*** begin quote ***

Right now Jet Tech and I are wrestling with how to get a free book (one that was electronically given to me by the publisher) onto one of the 6 ereaders on my iPad. I like reading on the iPad so I encourage you to go with it.

*** end quote ***

As I understand it. IBOOKS on the IPAD can only take an EPUB or PDF format via ITUNES. You didn’t say what format the ebook was in? Assuming (and we know what that means), that you have ITUNES set to export “books”, it should flow right over. I have to assume that the ebook you’re attempting to move is in another format. Depending upon what format it is, you’ll have to convert it. On the MAC, I like CALIBRE. While the UI is terrible, it does “do” many formats that I haven’t even heard of. Let me know what the format is or send me the file, I’ll attempt to convert it for you. After all I’m sitting in ICU with nothing to do. :-) Argh!

# # # # #

1 Comment | IPAD | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: What will our “friends” the Chinese say?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE6A706720101108

*** begin quote ***

The summit has been overshadowed by disagreements over the U.S. Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing (QE) policy under which it will print money to buy $600 billion of government bonds, a move that could depress the dollar and cause a potentially destabilising flow of money into emerging economies.

*** end quote ***

The you know what is flying towards the fan?

# # # # #

Leave a Comment » | MONEY | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »