JOBSEARCH: What rights do employers have over laid off workers?

Friday, January 2, 2009

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/12/26/142227&from=rss

RIM Accuses Motorola of Blocking Job Offers
Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday December 26, @11:48AM
from the if-i-can-have-you-nobody-will dept.
Businesses Technology

*** begin quote ***

theodp writes “Taking a page from the insanely-jealous-husband-playbook, Motorola management has adopted an if-I-can’t-have-you-nobody-can stance on its fired employees, reportedly blocking RIM from offering jobs to laid-off workers. In a complaint filed in state court, Motorola is charged with improperly trying to expand a previous agreement ‘to prevent the RIM entities from hiring any Motorola employees, including the thousands of employees Motorola has already fired or will fire.’ Through its Compete America membership, Motorola has repeatedly warned Congress that failing to accommodate the lobbying group members’ ‘principled’ demand for timely access to talent would not be in the United States’ economic interest and would make the U.S. second-rate in education and basic research.”  

*** end quote ***

A new wrinkle to make seeker’s lives miserable. Motorola want to own their future too.

Argh!

We need to change the playing field!

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POLITICIAL: Health Care is NOT a right

Friday, January 2, 2009

http://www.libertyforall.net/?p=1761

The health care mess: Functioning in the belly of the beast
Liberty For All
by Roderick T. Beaman

*** begin quote ***

“With Barack Obama’s presidency, the clamor for some type of universal medical coverage system is on a crescendo. The cry today is for a ‘single payer system.’ That type of system is a monopsony, where there is but one buyer for a good or a service, as opposed to a monopoly where there is but one seller. It was Pres. Harry Truman who first proposed government-funded health care service for Social Security recipients. It was a corner piece of John F. Kennedy’s presidential platform in 1960.” (12/23/08)

*** end quote ***

In college, I was forced to take courses unrelated to injineering. In Economics, we were taught surprisingly that there were “viewpoints”. I remember one lesson, the prof was teach about “elastic and inelastic” demand curves. (Simple versus “Field Theory” curves and equations) He had many examples of elastic demands (cars, food, money) and only one of inelastic.

Medical care.

No matter what the supply, what the price, demand was infinite.

The only cure was some type of rationing.

In the “old days” of my Mom’s generation, I remember my appendix operation. There were bills. Doc, Hospital, Surgeon, Gas passer, and Surgical Operating Room. My Mom had insurance but it was different then. She paid all the bills, assembled a big folder, and submitted it to the insurance company. They paid 80% of the total. It was very complicated.

She had limited choice since it was an emergency. But, whenever there was a choice, she was a price conscious shopper.

Today, no one shops. They just demand.

That’s what’s wrong!

Health care isn’t a right. Rights are negatives. If it’s a positive, then someone else is OBLIGATED to provide it.

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Posted by reinkefj

FUN: COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN

Friday, January 2, 2009

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01022009/news/regionalnews/happy______new_146872.htm  

HAPPY #*%! NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO!
COMIC KATHY LASHES OUT AT HECKLER ON CNN
By JEREMY OLSHAN

Last updated: 9:04 am
January 2, 2009
Posted: 1:32 am

*** begin quote ***

Comedienne Kathy Griffin may be doomed to life on CNN’s S-list after answering a heckler with a shrieking, vulgar tirade during the network’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast.

*** end quote ***

I’m shock and appalled at the reference and language on TV.

“I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” Captain Renault in Casablanca

Actually, I thought she was pretty funny and handled the heckler with what he deserved.

Mess with a comic at you own risk.

AND, if we heard what the politicians say when we’re not listening, that would be an education.

The old media is propaganda. Thinking that they are so “above the fray”.

Nice to see some honesty on TV.

Not everyone is perky Kattie C!

More honesty; less phoneysism.

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Posted by reinkefj

WRITING: Book is done!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

UPDATE 1/11 later 1/12 early: According to the Lulu site, my order should ship as early as 1/12 (tomorrow/today) or as late as 1/16 (Friday). Coming by FedEx Ground Delivery. (Lingering question, are Lulu books printed offshore and that’s why it takes so long?)

# – # – #

1/1/2009

Well, it’s finished. Cooked. Booked. I’ve Lulu-ed it.

Now I’m waiting for my proof copy.

It’s sad. Four decades late, I’m done.

Luddite helped with the proofing. CJ gave me a better punch. Frau gave me good input to the cover design.

But, it’s done.

All that I have to do is wait for Lulu to send me my proof.

710 pages.

Just under a half a million words.

A little less than a year.

So many lessons learned.

(1) You have to be organized.

(2) Keep one copy as the master. All changes get made there.

(3) Need versioning.

(4) There’s no good software for a big wp project.

Note: Office corrupted the doc after about 6 months. Despite creating new files. Master and sub-docs was a horror show.

Note: Apple’s PAGES sucked at big docs.

Note: Google docs choked at the size.

Note: Luggable’s WINDOZE Office locked up one night and lost three hours of my best prose.

Argh!

(5) It’s always takes longer and is harder than you expect.

(6) A GANTT chart with realistic estimates would have helped.

(7) Schedules weren’t met.

(8) Illness, job loss, laziness, and stupidity all caused delays.

(9) When blogging fan fiction, have the project DONE before posting the first segment.

(10) Was it fun?

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Posted by reinkefj

ConspiracyTheories: I have a “thermometer” for measuring these

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Checking the Conspiracy Theorist “thermometer” (i.e., Conspiracy Theory Taxonomy and Ruler Type and Veracity) says: it is:

CATEGORIZED as … … 

Governmental
Political
Historical
Commercial
Miscellaneous
Health

AND I RATE IT AS … … 

Generally Accepted As True
Likely
More likely than not
Plausible
Possible
Less likely than not
Unlikely
Generally Accepted As False

For example:

The JFK assassination was a Governmental conspiracy theory that I’d rate as More likely than not.

The Moon Landing Hoax was a Historical conspiracy theory that I’d rate as Generally Accepted As False.

Hope this helps you know that my personaltin foil hat is not on too tight.  There are degrees of certainty in everything.

“My first rule: I don’t believe anything the government tells me.” — George Carlin

— 30 —

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: What’s wrong with “copyright” law

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2008/12/making-of-holiday-classic.html

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Making of a Holiday Classic

*** begin quote ***

By any standard, It’s a Wonderful Life qualifies as a holiday classic. Frank Capra’s 1946 film has earned its place in the pop culture pantheon, becoming a Christmas tradition for millions of viewers around the world.

*** and ***

You may have noticed that, in recent years, It’s a Wonderful Life comes on only once or twice per Christmas season, and only on a major network (NBC). [That’s because] The original copyright holders managed to reassert their rights, something that is virtually unheard of. But the rights associated with the background music, as well as the copyright protection stemming from the short story on which the movie was based, had not yet expired. That gave Republic Pictures the hook in needed to reassert its control of the film.

*** end quote ***

Wasn’t “copyright” and “patent” law supposed to speed up innovation?

Intellectual Property, or as most libertarians call it, “imaginary property”, has apparently done the opposite.

Never ending succession of small changes allow the Big Media to retain a choke hold on “stuff”.

Time to revisit that “law”.

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Posted by reinkefj

TECHNOLOGY: Google “Picasa 3” not for Mac?

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Interesting?

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SERVICE: “Windows Live SkyDrive” replaced “FOLDERSHARE” (No Opinion Yet)

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

http://help.live.com/help.aspx?project=live_folders

Welcome to Windows Live SkyDrive Help

*** begin quote ***

Store, organize, and download your files, photos, and favorites (A website whose web address is saved on your computer or an online server so that you can access it quickly and easily.) on Windows Live servers for free. Share photos and files that you create with your friends, collaborate on documents, or display photos and files that you create to anyone on the Windows Live network (A group of people someone communicates and shares with on Windows Live. Someone’s network includes people they’ve added to their profile, to their Messenger contacts, or both. People in someone’s network can see information about their latest activities in the what’s new list, and may see other information, depending on permissions settings.) . When you sign in to the Windows Live SkyDrive website with your Windows Live ID (The e-mail address and password that you use to sign in to Windows Live programs and services such as Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger; Microsoft services such as Xbox LIVE, MSN, and Office Live; and other places where you see the Windows Live ID logo.) , you get:

   * Storage: Store up to 25 gigabytes (GB) of photos and files. The SkyDrive storage meter shows how much storage space you’ve used.

   * Organization: Arrange your files in top-level folders (A folder that appears in the Documents, Favorites, or Photos sections on the Windows Live SkyDrive home page. Also known as a root folder.) and subfolders (A folder that you create inside a top-level folder.) that you create.

   * Control: Choose permissions (A setting that lets you limit who can see and download files from your folders.) for each top-level folder that you create. Keep your photos, files, and favorites in personal folders (Only you can view or edit files in this top-level folder. You can use personal folders to store private files.) so only you can access them; in shared folders (Only you and people that you select can view photos and files in this top-level folder. For each person that you allow to access the top-level folder, you can assign the role of reader or editor.) so you can share them with your Windows Live network, your extended network (The people in your network on Windows Live—your Windows Live Messenger and profile contacts—plus the profile contacts of the people in your network.) , and people on your contact list (A list that contains the name and e-mail address of each of your contacts.) ; or in public folders (Anyone on the Internet can view photos and files in this top-level folder, but only you can edit the photos and files.) so that they can be viewed by anyone on the Internet.

   * Convenience: Keep track of your favorite websites even when you aren’t using your own computer.

   * Flexibility: Upload any photo or file up to 50 megabytes (MB) in size, and move, copy, delete, rename, and caption your photos and files after you upload them.

   * Display: Photos saved as the JPG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, PNG, TIF, and TIFF file types (A standard way of storing information on a computer by using the last three letters of a file name, known as the file extension, to indicate the file type. Different programs use different file extensions.) display with thumbnail (A miniature version of an image or electronic version of a page that is generally used to allow quick browsing through multiple images or pages.) images, and can be viewed by other users on SkyDrive or in an online slide show, if they have the right permissions to view them.

   * Sharing: Share links directly to your folders, files, and photos, or embed your photos and files in your blog (Short for weblog. An online journal. Each entry typically contains personal thoughts and web links, with the newest entries listed first.) or webpage. You can also let people know you’ve added their picture to SkyDrive by adding people tags (Textual data attached to a photo to refine its definition and meaning by identifying the person or persons in the photo.) .

*** end quote ***

Sigh. Didn’t migrate the FOLDERSHARE settings. Argh!

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GOLD: Demonstrating the eternal value of commodity money

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7797977.stm

*** begin quote ***

An amateur British archaeologist has discovered almost 300 gold coins dating from the 7th Century at a dig just outside Jerusalem’s Old City.

*** end quote ***

Wonder how much a paper IOU from the then Byzantine Emperor Heraclius would be worth today?

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: A superb refutation of “liberalism”

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/12/the_conservative_elevator_stor.html

December 27, 2008
The Conservative Elevator Story
By Christopher Chantrill

*** begin quote ***

Good question, Bob. In America today, conservatives believe, government is cruel, corrupt, unjust; and it just costs too much. And we conservatives just can’t stand there and do nothing.

{Extraneous Deleted}

Liberals created this monster, Bob. Liberals believe that compulsory government programs are the way to help the poor and comfort the afflicted. But they are wrong. Government is not compassion. Government is force. You cannot solve social problems by force.

{Extraneous Deleted}

Conservatives believe in society not as social force but as social cooperation. That’s why we must reform the welfare state into the welfare society. In the welfare society the American people, not liberal experts, will be in charge of their health care, their children’s education, the comfort of the afflicted, and the decent provision of pensions.

{Extraneous Deleted}

With conservative reforms America will truly become that shining city on a hill, “still a beacon, still a magnet for all who must have freedom.”

*** end quote ***

A superb “elevator speech” as to why we need liberty!

Strange how originally the “conservatives” wish to preserve the French and English Kings and the “liberals” wanted to empower the “sovereign individual”.

NOW, we have the perversion that the “liberals” want to empower the government and the “conservatives” want to empower the individual.

AND, the Democrats and Republicans are two sides of the same coin — power to the government.

How far we have fallen from the ideals of the DOWGs!

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