TECHNOLOGY: Portability Policy for your “data”

Saturday, June 26, 2010

http://portabilitypolicy.org/index.html

Your Portability Policy

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We have provided a set of questions and a few sample portability policies to help you get started. These are not intended to be comprehensive, and we expect that they will evolve over time. You are encouraged to add whatever topics or issues will help your users make informed decisions.

We aren’t trying to promote any particular policy, business model or technology. Rather, we hope to create standards that simplify communication and help customers make informed choices.

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I have my own personal portability policy.

If I can’t get “my” data out then the site, service, or software has to have a huge value proposition.

Be nice if all sites adopted this as a standard. Even if it’s a closed island like Facebook, it would be valuable to know that upfront.

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LIBERTARIAN: DoI’s “an inalienable right to life” when, and under what circumstances?

Friday, June 25, 2010

http://www.tidewaternews.com/news/2010/jun/12/extremist-libertarianism/

Extremist libertarianism By Steve Stewart | Tidewater News Published Saturday, June 12, 2010 Steve Stewart is publisher of The Tidewater News. His e-mail address is steve.stewart@tidewaternews.com

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If an adult chooses not to wear a life jacket — or a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet — that’s one thing. He is old enough to weigh the risks and make a decision. It’s his life. An 8-year-old kid isn’t equipped to make that decision. When a reckless parent doesn’t see fit to take a simple step that will save a kid from drowning, I have no problem with the state saying he must.

Libertarian instincts aside, I disagree with Pollard. The collective wisdom of society does occasionally trump the not-so-common sense of an individual. In such cases, there oughta be a law.

*** end quote ***

The death of child is tragic. The unnecessary death is even more so.

That being said, we don’t worry about the preventable deaths of children in war, collateral damage, boycotts, embargoes, aboortion, the war against (some) drugs, poverty, swimming pools, car accidents, DWI, bathtubs, and … the ultimate killers … pais of water in the home!

(Before you say I’m absurd, please look up the most frequent cause of accidental drownings.)

SO what we have here is the political class saying they know better how to raise your child. We’ve already established that there is no EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE of a problem, no evidence that this law will solve more problems than it corrects, nor any evidence that the “law” would have any practical impact at all.

Now I understand that in the Declaration of Independence, “we”, (as if there was such a thing as “we”), assert that there is “an inalienable right to life”. (Isn’t it amusing when you quote their own documents back to the Statists and Socialists?) We have never agreed on when those “inalienable rights” inure to the “person”.

Is the legislator trying to state an answer to that question by preempting parental decision making?

The busybody politicians and bureaucrats are trying to run everything. With the fatal conceit. What did Thomas Sowell call it. “Conceit of the Anointed” Or Walter Williams. “The bottom line is that the idea that government bureaucrats have enough knowledge to manage an economy well is the height of conceit — what Nobel Laureate Friedrich Hayek called the “fatal conceit.” I’d call it the “conceit of the elite” that they would know better how to run your life than you do. With all their fancy “laws” (not like natural Laws), rules, regulations, diktats, or no-nos. And stuff still happens,

When you try to force someone to do something, even something that they would have wanted to do if left alone, they rebel. Because, instinctively, in their DNA, they “know” where that leads to: being a slave, mistreatment, and eventually the death camps. That’s why calling someone a Nazi is such a powerful slur. Like racist. Because you can IMMEDIATELY associate a picture with a label. And, we all know where it ends.

So, this politician tries to mandate “life jackets” for kids and we can trace it to its logical conclusion killing children in Auschwitz. May sound far fetched, but to me it’s as logical an outcome as any chemical reaction, the drips that cause stalactites and stalagmites. (Tites are tight to the ceiling) Or ants building a mound.

Drip, drip, drip. We lose out freedom. As Guliver is tied down thread by thread. No single drip, no single thread, no single “law” is enough to fight about. Like a parasite in a host, slowly eating it to death.

So the answer to every new intrusion, must be a firm “No”. “Never”. “Buzz off”.

“but it’s for the children”?

Well how about all these other “for the children” items that you don’t seem to care about.

Argh!

Take your gooferment off our liberty!

“I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do.” — Robert A. Heinlein

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LIBERTY: Markets allow peaceful cooperation

Sunday, June 13, 2010

http://freekeene.com/free-audiobook/

“The Market for Liberty”
Linda & Morris Tannehill (1970)

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Government: An Unnecessary Evil

There was once a time when it was widely believed the world was flat and the sun revolved around the earth. Now we know better and most reasonable people have rejected these ideas. Similarly, most people have rejected the once widely accepted idea of slavery, and rightfully so. If you’re like most people, your government high school history classes probably taught you that slavery was abolished years ago. Government people wouldn’t lie to you, would they?

The book you are about to listen to explodes the myths of government. Its message is simple:

“Government is an unnecessary evil and freedom is the best and most practical way of life.” Spread this idea, and we can change the world. That is why I’ve taken the time to create this audio book. These days, many people do not have time to read and it would be a shame to allow such a brilliant work to continue to gather dust on the shelves of history.

*** end quote ***

Gooferment is the meme that kills.

It’s hard to imagine a person, killing millions, without the assistance of a “government” to help him.

Genocides, Purges, Killing Fields, and such are only possible by gooferment. Even religious wars can’t match the numbers.

Liberty and Free Markets allow humans to peacefully cooperate with each other.

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JOBSEARCH: “Eliminating the unemployed” will be punished in the marketplace; no law required

Monday, June 7, 2010

http://www.career-resumes.com/the-unemployed-will-not-be-considered-what/

The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered. WHAT???

by Jason Alba http://www.jibberjobber.com/

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I read this article on The Huffington Post: Disturbing Job Ads: ‘The Unemployed Will Not Be Considered.’

In my opinion (Jason Alba, not Career Resumes),

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>should be illegal

Argh! Sorry, but I “violently” disagree. Well as “violently” as a little L libertarian can.

Perhaps, I can illustrate the “dead end” and counter-productive nature of that reaction.

We have laws against “age discrimination”, how well are they working? Ditto “sex”. Ditto “race”. Ditto, ditto, ditto.

Using the “guns of gooferment” just ensures that it will be our collective feet that are getting shot.

Let’s examine how well WW2 Wage and Price controls worked for today’s employees. We have the “benefits trap” that tie health benefits with employment by laws and tax policy that are inescapable.

ERISA rules, make it more expensive to do business in the US.

Departing from the original Constitutional method of financing the Federal Gooferment with excise taxes and tariffs allows the exporting of jobs overseas.

Creation of the Federal Reserve Bank, (which by the way ain’t Federal, doesn’t Reserve squat, and ain’t a Bank), allows the Gooferment to monetize spending into debt and distort the marketplace interest rate. That creates “malinvestment” in the marketplace. And, the investor, entrepreneurs, the poor, the fixed income, and the worker suffers.

So, please, immediately any thought of “illegality”. It will do nothing to solve, ameliorate, or even prevent the problem. Making something “illegal” just: drives it underground (i.e., age = overqualified), increases costs (i.e., EOE = dumb disclaimers on any job ad), and doesn’t solve the problem (i.e., resumes with gaps will still be dumped automagically).

>Does being unemployed change your

Yes, it does. It’s affects your whole attitude about life, your self-worth, and your outlook. Hopefully for the better. But not necessarily. Once you’ve been nuked, I feel you become a “turkey”. You’re never as self-confident as you were pre-unemployment. That may be good. That may be just “growing up”. That may be a spark to do bigger and better thing (e.g., you with Jibber Jobber). While you’re unemployed, some of your dikw (i.e., data, information, knowledge, wisdom) ages. Data ages badly; wisdom perhaps not at all. In the Technology arena, a month can be like a life time. (A funny story: I know one techie, who was out so long when his particular technology went out of fashion, that he went to sell cars. When that didn’t work out five years later, the technology pendulum had swung back and his tech was back in style and he picked up where he left off. Just lucky or evidence of the stupidity of large organizations. It was hard on him, but he survived.)

>still a lot of ignorant thinking to change

I think that contains the seed of what will happen. Don’t you think that turkeys will have long memories? What will be that company’s reputation in the future when it has to compete for talent? And, the pendulum always swings.

And the HR type that initiated that type of restriction may not have a very long career in HR.

The economists always point out that irrational discrimination or discrimination in socially unacceptable manner costs the company dramatically. “Irrational”, like “No blonds”, eliminates all Swedes. This means that their hiring pool is artificially constricted. If that company wants to hire a Swedish translator, they may have to pay more or be unable to fill the position. That company would be at a competitive disadvantage and would lose in the marketplace. “Socially unacceptable”, like “No <insert favorite minority>”, will bring about a boycott by the minority and their sympathizers. (Note, the state transit racial segregation laws were vigorously opposed by white bus and train owners because they fear financial ruin. Prior to those laws, no one had to sit at the back of the bus.) The Free Market administers discipline quickly!

“Eliminating the unemployed” will be subverted (i.e., everyone will have their own consulting company and internet side businesses), marginalized (i.e., folks will make them “anathema”), and eventually punished by the invisible hand of the marketplace (i.e., hiring the employed will raise their costs, they will miss “bargains”, and be at a financial disadvantage to their competitors).

>You can tell this makes me mad

Me2. I’d conserve your anger for the bigger “structural” problems that we Turkeys have.

We, as a society, “we” collectively “waste” expensively a lot of “human resources”. From around age 15 to age 25, we confine workers to what is euphemistically called “school” from which they emerge with a bug debt, unrealistic expectations, and no ROI. From age 50 to 65, “we” again discriminate against the “older expensive worker”. From age 65 to 75, “we” again waste frivolously and expensively in “retirement”. With life spans lengthening and political, financial, and intellectual memes failing to recognize and adapt. we have BIGGER problems to solve.

The silver lining is that: (1) such stupidity will be punished in the marketplace; (2) the unemployed will compete by forming their own businesses (as you know, I think were bound to become a nation of one man bands like the movie industry); and (3) Americans have rebellion, energy, and innovation in their genes and memes.

We will survive. The turkeys will inherit the earth! So lets go peck them to death!

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I did over look three ideas which I should have gotten in about unemployment and how it changes the individual.

(1) It wipes out your savings.

It does something else.

(2) You never look at companies the same way again. Your motivation never aligns with the company’s again. Any company. It’s like the monologue by the character Colonel Jessep played by Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men”.

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, … … Because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want it all to be back the way it was. You hang on every illusion that it was all just a mistake.”

One of the points I missed was that: (3) you still cling to the innocence that you deep down in your heart know it was all a mistake. Your name just wound up on the wrong list. You’re really not the turkey. But like we used to say in Delta Beta Mu a long time ago, you’re a turky because you being at the turkey farm is prima facie evidence that you’re a turkey and it was not a mistake. The sooner you learn that the better off you will be.

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LIBERTY: Dr. Mary Ruwart’s “Healing Our World”

Monday, June 7, 2010

http://freekeene.com/2010/05/19/world-exclusive-healing-our-world-now-in-kindle-and-epub-formats/

FK EXCLUSIVE: “Healing Our World” Now In Kindle and Epub Formats!

May 19, 2010 by Ian Freeman

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Thanks to Keeniac and liberty activist Abbie, we are proud to announce the world exclusives of Dr. Mary Ruwart’s awesome book, “Healing Our World” (90s edition) in Epub (.epub) and Kindle (.azw) formats! Just click your preferred format to download.

Plus, we still have the .PDF of “Healing” http://freekeene.com/files/Healing_Our_World.pdf and some other books like “The Market for Liberty” and “Complete Liberty” free in audio format as well as .PDF on our Free Books page!

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Absolutely worth a read!

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POLITICAL: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/05/13/a-slow-burn-bonfire-of-liberties-2/

A slow-burn bonfire of liberties
MARK STEYN: Here’s what you get when the state hauls nobodies off to jail for quoting the Bible
by Mark Steyn on Thursday, May 13, 2010

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The other day, upholding the sacking of a black Christian for declining to provide “sex therapy lessons” to gay couples, Lord Justice Laws ruled that “law for the protection of a position held purely on religious grounds is irrational, divisive, capricious, arbitrary.” Actually it’s the law of Lord Justice Laws that is increasingly “irrational, divisive, capricious, arbitrary.” Or as George Orwell, in Animal Farm, formulated it: all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. In the land of Laws, a gay is more equal than a Christian. A Muslim is more equal than anybody. A black man is more equal than a white man, unless the white man is gay and the black man a Christian. An eco-zealot is more equal than an Anglican. Not long before Lord Justice Laws’ decision on the “irrationality” of legal protection for Christianity, Tim Nicholson, a “Head of Sustainability” fired for questioning his property management group’s environmental policies, sued for wrongful dismissal under “Employment Equality (Religion And Beliefs) Regulations.” He wound up with the best part of one hundred thousand pounds after Mr. Justice Burton ruled that Mr. Nicholson’s faith in anthropogenic global warming was a “philosophical belief” on a par with religion. So the Employment Equality (Religion And Beliefs) Law protects belief in apocalyptic “climate change” but not in Jesus.

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Yes, I know it’s overseas. BUTT (there’s always a big but), it’s coming here. You can see it.

“Political correctness” goes amuck.

And, civil discourse can no longer address race, sex, religion, or any other paradigm or meme that gets anyone upset.

Argh!

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RANT: A rebuke of Pelosi on Facebook

Monday, May 31, 2010

Read a rebuke of Pelosi on Facebook. Amazing the gall of that woman, Pelosi. CINO. I’m no saint by any measure. But, at least I try to listen to the teachings. The Catholic Church has done a very bad job of managing it’s brand. CINO politicians claim the brand so they can be elected but don’t adhere to the beliefs. And, even worse, give scandal. I thought that was an absolute no no. And, yet they fail to rebuke them. Could it be the pedophilia scandal has neutered them? Perhaps this battle is left to the laity to fight. Sigh, above my pay grade. The abuse scandal still dogs the Church.

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POLITICAL: Isn’t this supposed to be the “home of the brave”

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

http://original.antiwar.com/pitts/2010/05/07/living-with-risk-is-the-cost-of-freedom

Living with Risk is the Cost of Freedom
by Leonard Pitts Jr., May 08, 2010

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We always seem surprised.

Even after Oct. 1, 1910, when a bomb destroyed the Los Angeles Times building and killed 20 men.

*** and ***

There’s a saying: I’d rather be lucky than good. Last week, we were both. But at some point, we will be neither.

So what can you do? The answer is that you do the best you can, take what precautions you can, and then you get on with it, learn to live with the risk freedom entails. You accept that risk because freedom is worth it.

And because living in fear is a contradiction in terms.

*** end quote ***

The Gooferment, while its raison d’Eter is protection of our rights, is incapable of keeping us completely safe. We see that result in the movies — “The Matrix”, “V”, and “I, Robot” — and in countless Sci Fi texts. We couldn’t breathe with a complete cloak of protection around us. And, mistake would still happen.

So let’s recognize there will always be risk. Someone always wins the lottery. Reasonable mitigation, Mutual Cooperation as needed, strict restriction of unjustified Gooferment intrusions should be the “order of the day”.

After all this is supposed to be the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave”.

We all don’t need “no stinkin’ badges” to keep ourselves safe.

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POLITICAL: Avoiding a long period of economic stagnation

Saturday, May 22, 2010

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2010/05/stagnation-ahead.html

Thursday, May 20, 2010
Stagnation ahead?

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Paul Krugman’s column, which is on the Times site tonight, but will be in print tomorrow, reminds us that the danger is not the deficit — not in the short term, anyway — but the likelihood that we are entering a long period of economic stagnation, a “lost decade,” and that we are not doing enough to prevent it.

*** end quote ***

Remember the Great Depression was caused by the Gooferment and it’s Smoot Hawley tariff.

This one was caused by CRA, Freddie + Fannie, repeal of Glass Stegal, the FED, the SEC, the FDIC, and the FTC. (imho in that order) (p.s., blaming Wall Street is like blaming the insane in the asylum. Corrupt gooferment makes this all possible.)

The answer is freedom; not gooferment. How’s all that deficit spending worked out for Japan? How did socialism work out for the old Soviet Union. Remember Thatcher’s quote on “other people’s money”?

No, we pull ourselves back from the brink by tough love. Sure it’s going to hurt. But, do we have the right to endebt future generations?

imho, we need a national CPR, fast comprehensive and violent:

(1) End the various “wars”. Bring all the boys and girls home.

(2) End the psuedo War on (some) drugs. Pardon ALL non-violent drug offenders.

(3) End all restrictions on small businesses. (License to braid or cut hair’ please don’t make me barf!) (Dollar van prohibitions.)

(4) Zero corporate, estate, and income tax. Return to constitutional tariffs and excise taxes.

(5) Start selling off the “national assets”.

(6) Return — with a forty year plan — education costs to the parents.

(7) End welfare — corporate and personal — with an appropriate transition period.

(8) End the Social Security ponzi scheme [Really a misnomer. It’s Ponzi like. Those defrauded really had no choice about participating.] with a Chile-like solution to give folks time to adapt.

(9) Open the borders with an expedited identification scheme. (i.e., here illegally? come down and get your picture taken and finger prints checked and dna sample! Here’s your new green card.) (i.e., want to come here. post a bond for your return trip. no communicable diseases. pic, finger, dna. welcome to the land of opportunity.)

(10) Re-institute Constitutional money in gold and silver. Figure out a transition plan from FED to gold.

Then stand back and watch this economy take off. You’ll have growth and civility that is unprecedented.

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RANT: Sadly, this picture says it all

Saturday, May 8, 2010

http://www.resistnet.com/

201005081134.jpg

My Rx for our problems:

(1) End welfare. Corporate and private.

(2) End the “War on (some) Drugs”

(3) Bring our troops home. (From all 170+ countries!)

(4) End the Fed and return to sound commodity money.

(5) Repeal the Federal income, estate, and excise taxes.

(6) Close the Federal Department of Education, and a bunch more.

(7) Pass “Read The Bills”, “One Subject At Time”, and “Enumerated Powers Act”.

The that fellow in the picture would really have something to complain about!

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