TECHNOLOGY: Thinkg about non-stopping Toyotas

Friday, March 12, 2010

FROM A FACEBOOK EXCHANGE

*** begin quote ***

ABCDEF wants to know how you can be trapped in a runaway car with a stuck accelerator for 20 minutes. I would like to know if people are so stupid to not know that turning off the car will at least allow you to coast to a stop if the brakes are not working (icluding the emergency brake). Or is there some hidden part of the st…ories where the cars cannot be turned off? If there is… why hasn’t any media outlet said that?

*** end quote ***

I “believe” (Medicine from Doctor Phil, Law from Judge Judy, and Politics from Glen Beck) that the stupid things do NOT respond to turning the key OFF. (Not to ACC or to the position that allows the key to be extracted and locks the steering.) The lame street Press has reported that there is SOME kind of a button, somewhere in the cabin, that can … See Morebe pushed for an “emergency stop”. (I’d have thought pushing the brake pedal would engage the brake. OH NO, dumm, there’s some SOFTWARE involved in the process. Are they out of their freakin’ minds. Nobody involved ever done “software” support.) Sigh.

P.S. In my Mom’s garage, sometimes people block me in. I used to move cars. Now, if it’s a Toyota, I call the attendant. :-) Discretion!

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I, and others, don’t think it’s that easy. From what I understand, admittedly just from what I read, software is allowed to over ride the operator stomping on the brake. I find that incredulous. But, evidently, this little gem has a software that has a mind of its own. I’ll play Sargent Shultz, who says “I know nuthin, Nuting, Nothing at all”! But, it may not be so clear cut. Just an opinion.

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*** begin quote ***

GHIJKL: sorry , i’ve never known a car that doesn’t allow you to take it out of gear , and emergency breaks are a physical cable with 0 electronics in them ( thats sort of the point of them else they wouldn’t be able to pass inspection ) although i believe breaks could be disabled due to abs and you may not be able to turn off the engine , a gear box is a gear box , can ALWAYS put it in neutral even if you cant do park/reverse.

*** end quote ***

Sorry, but I think we are ALL going to need to do a “software update”. A month ago, I’d have said the same thing. (Probably with a lot more sarcasm!) Without having gotten one of these gems and ripped it apart, the Main Stream Media — or Lamestream Media — has led me to believe that this is no longer true. The car has a significant software …

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[JR: I’ll continue to follow the reports.]

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UPDATE

Now it appears that there is some question about the authenticity and accuracy of these claims.

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TECHNOLOGY: Can’t Yahoo at least id spam that claims to be from Yahoo?

Friday, March 12, 2010

*** begin quote ***

From: “Yahoo!” <jenny@networkci.net>
Date: March 12, 2010 1:53:42 AM EST
To: <jenny@networkci.net>
Subject: Verify Your Account Services!!!
Reply-To: mail.dataservicea2@yahoo.com



Yahoo! Customer Care Satisfaction Survey

                             Account Alert Yahoo!

Dear Valued Member,
Due to the congestion in all Yahoo users and removal of all unused Yahoo! Accounts, Yahoo would be shutting down all unused accounts, You will have to confirm your E-mail by filling out your Login Info below after clicking the reply botton, or your account will be suspended within 24 hours for security reasons.
UserName: ……………………………… Yahoo!
Password:………………………………….
Date Of Birth: …………………………………..
Country Or Territory:..……………………….
After Following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconvinience.



Yahoo! Customer Care Yahoo!


*** end quote ***

This type of SPAM is exceptionally frustrating.

Yahoo should at least be able to catch it.

They even have a offering of “hidden addresses”. So you’d thing they could use that to ensure that their sers KNOW what’s really from them.

Come on, guys, this ain’t rocket science! Is it?

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TECHNOLOGY: Free audio books

Friday, March 12, 2010

http://www.booksshouldbefree.com

BooksShouldBeFree.com

*** begin quote ***

Your source for free audio books. Download one in mp3, iPod and iTunes format today.

*** end quote ***

The great, not so great, and terrible books for those long car rides!

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POLITICAL: Wasn’t the Census used in the round up of the Japanese Americans for “internment” in WW2?

Thursday, March 11, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/barnett/barnett18.1.html

The Census and History: It Is Not a Pretty Picture!
by Gary D. Barnett
…  is president of Barnett Financial Services, Inc., in Lewistown, Montana.

*** begin quote ***

I have been discussing the unconstitutional nature and danger of modern census taking for several years. By attempting to expose through my writing the very invasive practice of the “census,” and by educating others about the false reasoning for these government intrusions, my hope is that more and more people will contradict the accepted system by not complying with the census process. One can do this and still remain within constitutional bounds simply by refusing to give any information other than the number of people living in a particular home. This seems simple enough, but due to threats of fine or worse, and threats by the federal government to withhold tax redistributions from state, county and local communities, the populace at large continues to acquiesce to “State” pressure.

*** and ***

The point I want to make is that data-collection by government about the citizenry is always dangerous. Future uses of this private information can never be known. Besides the fact that it is anti-liberty, it allows the state to monitor its citizens, and also sets the stage for an easier path for government to control the people. While the U.S. Census may seem harmless enough to the masses, it could eventually lead to disastrous results. Today we are not only being counted by government, but are having our private information gathered and data-based as well. Our phones are tapped, our emails are captured, our movements are watched, our financial records are monitored and warrantless search and seizure is common.

*** end quote ***

Don’t forget the role of the US Census in the Japanese Internment!

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From: reinke, ferdinand
Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2010 9:50 AM
To: gbarnett
Subject: with respect to the Census

Wasn’t the Census used in the round up of the Japanese Americans for “internment” in WW2?

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From: “Gary Barnett”
Date: March 10, 2010 12:02:19 PM EST
To: “‘reinke, ferdinand
Subject: RE: with respect to the Census

Yes it was, and I should have mentioned it in my article.

All best … Gary

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NOT bad for a fat old white guy injineer.

When it comes to ANY gooferment program, remember: ineffective, inefficient, and can be pervert to an evil purpose.

How do you tell when a politician, a bureaucrat, or “The Gooferment” is lying? Yup, when their lips move.

“The Census will never be misused.” Tell that to the approximately 110,000 Nisei Japanese Americans http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_American_internment who were forcibly “interned”.

(Much fewer in Hawaii. Why? No Germans on the East Coast. Why?)

(My Grandmothers, on both my Father’s and Mother’s sides, living on opposite coasts, spoke fluent German at home as their primary language. As did their brothers and sisters. They stopped after Pearl Harbor for fear of internment. How’s that for chilling? I could have been born in an internment camp. If this silliness got out of hand.)

Argh!

The Gooferment is evil.

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POLITICAL: The cost of “public educstion”

Thursday, March 11, 2010

http://centraljersey.com/articles/2010/03/04/opinions/doc4b902460b6719996011467.txt#blogcomments

EDITORIAL: Governor balancing books on students’ backs
Thursday, March 4, 2010 4:22 PM EST

*** begin quote ***

   Gov. Chris Christie has made a point of saying he plans to tackle the state’s budget crisis head on. Gone, he says, are the days of kicking the proverbial can (i.e., the state’s recurring deficit) down the road and hoping someone else will pick it up.

   But that’s exactly what he’s doing, withholding aid from school districts for this year’s budget and forcing them to make up the shortfall with money many districts had planned to use in 2010-2011.

*** end quote ***

Unfortunately, “We, The People” can’t afford “public education” anymore. A new solution will hae to be found. “Public Education” is inefficient and ineffective. Also it’s dumbing down and indoctrinating the next generation of voters to look to big gooferment as the “solution” to every problem. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that the reality. Too expensive, too “one size fits all”, too corrupt.

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RANT: Obamais looking at your retirement savings

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

http://biggovernment.com/jarenas/2010/03/09/the-united-states-of-argentina-obamas-pension-grab/

The United States of Argentina: Obama’s Pension Grab
by J.C. Arenas

*** begin quote ***

As of the third quarter of 2009, Americans held a combined $8 trillion in 401(k) plans and IRAs, according to the most recent retirement market report from the Washington D.C.-based Investment Company Institute. Furthermore, his proposal for health-care reform calls for an extension of the 2.9% Medicare tax to unearned income, which means those annuities and other forms of guaranteed income streams you would receive in exchange for relinquishing the freedom you currently possess over your retirement funds, would be subject to taxation. The American people consistently lose when the government desires to be helpful.

*** end quote ***

WHERE is OBH44 going to come up with all the money to pay for all these goodies?

Trillion dollar deficits? Where do you find a loose trillion dollars?

Argh!

Your retirement funds.

That’s the target BECAUSE there is NO WHERE else for the gooferment to get that size money!

Will this be the issue that awakes the sheeple?

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FUN: CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS FOR LESS THAN $1.00…

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS FOR LESS THAN $1.00…

*** begin quote ***

Interesting if true.

From: POLLY S ZALDIVAR
Date: March 9, 2010 9:18:07 PM EST
To: undisclosed recipients: ;
Subject: CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS FOR LESS THAN $1.00…

CLEAN YOUR KIDNEYS FOR LESS THAN $1.00

Years pass by and our kidneys continue filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and

any unwanted stuff entering our body.

With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments and how are we going to overcome this?

It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley (PEREJIL) and wash it clean

Then cut it into small pieces, place in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes.

Let it cool down and then filter it. Pour into a clean bottle and place in refrigerator to cool.

Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidneys by urination.

Also you will be able to notice the difference that you never felt before.

Parsley is known as the best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is all natural!

*** end quote ***

TO WHICH I FOUND IN GOOGLE

*** begin quote ***

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=100

Individual Concerns

Parsley and Oxalates

Parsley is among a small number of foods that contain measurable amounts of oxalates, naturally-occurring substances found in plants, animals, and human beings. When oxalates become too concentrated in body fluids, they can crystallize and cause health problems. For this reason, individuals with already existing and untreated kidney or gallbladder problems may want to avoid eating parsley. Laboratory studies have shown that oxalates may also interfere with absorption of calcium from the body. Yet, in every peer-reviewed research study we’ve seen, the ability of oxalates to lower calcium absorption is relatively small and definitely does not outweigh the ability of oxalate-containing foods to contribute calcium to the meal plan. If your digestive tract is healthy, and you do a good job of chewing and relaxing while you enjoy your meals, you will get significant benefits – including absorption of calcium – from calcium-rich foods plant foods that also contain oxalic acid. Ordinarily, a healthcare practitioner would not discourage a person focused on ensuring that they are meeting their calcium requirements from eating these nutrient-rich foods because of their oxalate content. For more on this subject, please see “Can you tell me what oxalates are and in which foods they can be found?”

*** end quote ***

*** begin quote ***

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley

Health risks

   * Parsley should not be consumed as a drug or supplement by pregnant women. Parsley as an oil, root, leaf, or seed could lead to uterine stimulation and preterm labor.[6]

   * Parsley is high (1.70% by mass, [1]) in oxalic acid, a compound involved in the formation of kidney stones and nutrient deficiencies.

   * Parsley oil contains furanocoumarins and psoralens which leads to extreme photosensitivity if used orally.[7]

   * Parsley seeds contain a high level of oil and are a diuretic.

*** end quote ***

SEEMS LIKE A SNOPES CANDIDATE?

DO I get a Snopes Merit badge for my blog? (Although I still think there something fishy about Obama’s Birth Certificate. Why not release it and all his other documentation?)

Argh! Here’s 12 minutes of my life that I’ll never get back.

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MONEY: Aspen Silver Dollar

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

1. Aspen Silver Dollar Shines Forth

Just what you need to weather the monetary storm

ASPEN SILVER DOLLAR

From beautiful Aspen Colorado with its golden Aspen trees, a new currency shines forth.

Peter Affolter, explains the Aspen Silver Dollar, actually started in 2008 when Dr. Bill Wesson, long time local dentist, wanted to introduce Aspen to the unique values of silver.

“Well, Bill introduced me to silver and when he got so busy, I decided to take action and launch the Aspen Silver Dollar as a local currency.” Affolter said.

There is no doubt that Affolter, a well know local chef, is dedicated to silver. As he points out, “In the restaurant business, a cup is a cup. I think a dollar should be a dollar and that dollar should hold its value and even increase in value as people prosper. Simply put, silver has a better shelf life than food.”

Affolter is convinced that the Aspen Silver Dollar is good for his beloved mountain community, the Roaring Fork Valley area and good for America. He is quick to point out that, “Silver is better than voting. Sound money is a more effective and positive approach to big government. It can even be profitable!”

So what finally pushed Affolter to take the big plunge into the silver business? It started when he wanted to buy some silver in Aspen but there were no coin dealers and only one antique store had a few old US silver dollars. With no silver available, Affolter decided to follow the old marketing adage, “find a need and fill it,” and voila, the Aspen Silver Dollar was born.

Very quickly, Dr. Wesson and a dozen other Aspenites started using the Aspen Silver Dollar. The dentist, local bar, food store, car repairman have become the first local merchants to accept the new silver dollar for their goods and services.

Dr. Bill Wesson said, “I am very grateful that Peter took action to bring silver to Aspen. I think it is the best thing for Aspen and strongly encourage everyone to get and use the Aspen Silver Dollar for their own good and for the good of Aspen.”

To hear Affolter tell his story, he harkens back to the good old days when Aspen was the richest silver mining area in the world. He reminisces about how the Populist Party adopted silver as “legal tender” after the panic of 1893 – that almost killed Aspen. But Aspen never died, although it was down to only 705 residents in 1930.

Today, Aspen is the storied land of the rich and famous. But still Affolter is concerned about his beloved town and its local citizens. He is concerned about the US dollar and what the future will bear. And who knows, with silver up nearly 25% in 2009, the $50 Aspen Silver Dollar might just catch on if the current US dollar drops any more and Aspenites start shopping for something with more value.

So what is the Aspen Silver Dollar? Aspen Silver features an image of Liberty on the obverse and an Aspen leaf on the reverse. The new silver dollar contains one ounce of pure .999 fine silver and has a $50 MSRP so it in sync with the silver market and can be used voluntarily by merchants who accept it. So does the new dollar cost $50? Not if you know Affolter or live in the Roaring Fork Valley area. Locals are encouraged to get the currency at a steep volume discounts and then use it for whatever value is agreed upon with the merchant. The value changes with the silver market that is on an uptrend.

In addition to the 2010 Aspen Silver Dollar in Brilliant Uncirculated condition priced in sync with the silver market, two special collector issues have been created. The First Day of Issue features a special hand stamped Aspen leaf hallmark and a Limited Numbered Issue of only 100 individually hand stamped with a serial number.

The new Silver Aspen Dollar is, very “Aspen.” It is beautiful and more valuable than the debt plagued US dollar and would have been the darling of the Aspen of old. And who knows, for anyone who is savvy or lucky enough to catch Peter Affolter, the Aspen Silver Dollar might be just what you need to weather the current monetary storm.

For additional information Peter Affolter: 970.923.2658 paffolter81615@yahoo.com

DISCLAIMER: The Aspen Silver Dollar is not a currency, as it does not have a face value ($50 is the MSRP only) and is not intended to compete with the depreciating US dollar. The sole purpose of this commemorative “dollar” is for local enjoyment only as guaranteed by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. Let it be known that this is not a Liberty Dollar and that I have not involved in the minting, production or circulation of this historic commemorative “dollar.” I was commissioned as an artist only.

And if you have a “hot idea” and want to take action with your own commemorative “dollar” contact Alan McConnell at Silver Liberty Marketing alan@mail.org.

Please note that the Aspen Silver Dollar is not intended to be used as United States currency and any representation as such is strictly prohibited by law.

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POLITICAL: Too many parks; Socialism’s economic calculation problem

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/03/ill-gladly-pay-you-tuesday-for.html

Monday, March 08, 2010

‘I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today’

*** begin quote ***

I am not the only New Jersey columnist who believes the state needs to rethink how its local governments are organized. Alfred Doblin, editorial page editor for The Record, takes on the sacred cow of home rule in his column today (http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/doblin_030810.html):

“What is more important: Quality education or a local school district? Is the firefighter less competent because he or she answers to a regional supervisor instead of a local chief? Does it matter if the municipality, county or an independent contractor removes snow as long as the snow is removed?”

He likens the state’s fiscal crisis to the Chicago fire that destroyed that city in the late 19th Century, saying New Jersey has “burned down” and adding that “We should not build it like it was.” As he says of the sacred cow of “Home rule” — a “very big cow”: “it’s time it either produced a beverage or became an entrée.”

“The fiscal reality is bleak. But there are ways of providing many of the services we expect while still spending less. We don’t have too many teachers. We don’t have too many parks. We don’t have too many roads. We have too many districts. We have too many municipalities. We have too many departments that essentially duplicate other departments.”

*** end quote ***

“We don’t have too many …”

How can any one possibly say that?

One of the problems that Austrian Economics points out is that socialism has no way of making these economic calculations.

In a free economy, the price mechanism determines how many of anything we have. (Evil) (business) people risk their own capital to “test” if something is needed. Then the economy efficiently allocates capital to the things that people want. And they “vote” for the things they want by spending their scarce dollars. Profit is the message that the invisible hand of the economy uses to attract more capital to a needed area. That’s if we had a “free” economy.

Now we have a semi-free economy. The gooferment at many levels intrude and distort the market signals. For example, the FED by distorting the core interest rate for capital encourages “malinvestment”. The Austrians fault malinvestments for the boom and bust we see in the economy. That one distortion alone has catastrophic implication on what risks people take. Bubbles would not be as big or as hurtful without the “money” distortion. Commodity money, or at least the repeal of “legal tender” laws, would allow the free market to adjust the interest rate. And, limit the ability of the gooferment to spend.

Now, when we have NO profit or price mechanism, the gooferment can’t do anything. Because EVERY decision becomes a “political” decision. Only at the very grossest level can we opine on government spending. Suppose that a park was a for profit operation, like Disney World, and it had to carry its costs. This is the specific argument that I have with the South Brunswick “Public Library”. They take money from property taxes and “fund raising” that they do. People in and around South Brunswick didn’t support a movie theater; it went out of business. How can the “Public Library” go out of business? It can’t. The State Gooferment “legislates” that there be one for every Municipal Gooferment. It’s politics; not economics.

You have to laugh at the Census advertisement saying that everyone should fill it out so that “the Gooferment can figure out how many schools we need”. That is the economic calculation problem. We never hear anything about how many McDonalds we need. Because some uncompensated person has risked their capital to fulfill what they perceive as a need. See if we left education to parents, as we do food, clothing, and a myriad of other things, then we would know EXACTLY how many “schools are needed”. Of course, the Gooferment with its “zoning regulations” still interferes. That’s why we have a McDonalds on Sand Hill and Route 1 where a jug handle should be.

In closing, I know that I’ll get the usual carping about “libertarian looniness”. But it is a real political and economic problem. It’s wasteful to have politicians and bureaucrats making what should be economic decisions.

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GAMBLING: Hot and cold slots?

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

> Hot and cold slots?

No, it’s that human perception thing getting in the way of reality. imho! Like the folks who say the face of the devil in the WTC 9/11 smoke. Humans are wired to perceive that saber tooth in the saw grass. So we see them everywhere. BUT, there’s always a big BUTT, in a random string, there are “sequences: heads, tails, heads, heads, tails. SO you can get a sequence of “winners” of unknown length. Like the gal who held the dice for four and half hours at the Borgata. I think the trick is to have a strategy that allows you to “ride the wave” and not lose your shirt when it collapses.

Most profitable string I ever had was in Vegas when they introduced the “loyalty coupons” on the dollar machines. the predecessor of the Players Club cards. When you played the dollar machines, it would count down to zero from 20 and spit out a coupon. Coupon could be redeemed for junk. My theory was that a player would not leave a machine with a low count on the coupon device unless they went broke. Thus the machine was more likely to hit than not. Remember my theory of sequences. So it had been “lose, lose, lose, lose, … lose, lose”. Time for a “win”? At each conference session at the Riveara, I run out get two rolls of dollars and play. Several times I’d have to call the old lady down to wait for a hand pay. We hit so many; she was coming down on the conferences scheduled breaks. Sigh! Made a few thousand and got all sorts of junk for kids. Scheduled another trip back about a month later, but they had changed the system. Argh!

Remember the guy who figured out that the new Niagara Falls casino was unplugging the keno machine at night and it was calling the same numbers every day.

You have to READ the tea leaves and find the blunders. Like the poker strategy, black jack strategy.

imho

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