New Years Resolutions 2014

Another year is coming to an end (yeah), to be replaced by a year that is the same or worse (Contrary to what Howard Jones might say, things can get worse).  Same "stuff" different year.  So what are my resolutions for the new year?

* Cable Box: 1080i
* Computer: 720P (roughly)
* Camera: 4,608 x 3,072
* Video Game Console: 720P +
* Surface RT:1,366 x 768

What, those aren't the resolutions you wanted.  Ok...
* Win the lottery (net $7 million +)
* To get less error messages from Blogger (compatibility with IE 11)
* Add 5,000 GamerScore
* - Redacted -

Xmas 2013: The Loot

I would like to say that Santa Claus came and got me everything on my list, but I don't think that exactly happened (though i'll give him credit if I won/win the lottery). 

This Place... Now .004 Griswold

So what exactly does this mean? 

Xmas Candy: Life Savers Sweet Story Book

How times have changed... A few years ago when I was a younger kid than I am now, I would occasionally get Lifesavers Sweet Storybooks for Xmas.  This maybe a slightly fuzzy recollection, but I remember them different than the one I have sitting in front of me today.  The one I have sitting in front of me is a mere shadow of the awesomeness of the one I grew up with. 

First of all, I vaguely remember there being more rolls than the 6 there are now. I thought there used to be 8, it might have been 10. 

I remember there being:
* 5 Flavor
* (Wild or was it) Black Cherry
* Butter Rum - my favorite, I miss Butter Rum Life Savers.  I haven't seen these anywhere in years.  These are getting really, really hard to find - is it time to be evil???

Ok, maybe I was evil, or maybe I was just feeling oddly nostalgic, or maybe I did nothing. 
 I'm not sure if they had Pep-o-mint or Wint-o-green back then, I think they did.  Yeah, I seem to remember that Wint-o-Green Life Savers spark in the dark. 

Xmas 2013

I'm dreaming of a Green Xmas (or maybe just an Xmas with a decent number of zeroes after the decimal point, not leading zeroes either). 

So how does my bigger space this year look... see for yourself.  I am curious why the "Merry Christmas lights always appear blurry.  All kinds of weird flash stuff too.  I would have really liked to have a 3'+ tall electric fireplace heater thing in the second picture, rather than the Santa Claus, but that would probably have been $500+.  That would have been awesome.

If you are wondering... I added one little thing outside too (though it might work inside to the left of Santa tree topper too).  It was a LED Philips 6 icicle cascading lights thing.  If I had the money, the Griswold house might look dim. 

Bonus Picture: A real, surprisingly non-aromatic Xmas tree for someone I am acquainted with

i Finally Finished This (Puzzle)

Well, it took a couple (more like a few days to finish this), but I finally did it - and it may even be mostly correct.  This could have been easier - double sided pieces (but that means that if you find the match for one, it is not hard to find it for the other one) and very similar image.  See what I'm talking aboot.

Seattle Mariners: What to Do With Nick Franklin

Allegedly, the Seattle Mariners will sign Robinson Cano (still a SP, at least one outfielder and DH issue to address).  This move appears to have displaced Nick Franklin (one of my favorite current Mariners - despite his stupid elbow spider web tattoo). 

So what is next for the 22 year old?  That remains to be seen, but this is how I believe it to be

Didn't See This One Coming

The Seattle Mariners (apparently) shocked the baseball world with their massive deal with 2B Robinson Cano.  I guess the deal could fall apart... and allegedly it almost did with Jay-Z doing his Jerry Maguire "show me the money" imitation.  The reported deal is 10 years $240 million with a full no trade clause. 

Let's see what other notable free agent deals have the Seattle Marines made in their history....  Aside from Ichiro Suzuki (kind of a free agent, sort of), I'm drawing a blank.  I guess they also had Adrian Beltre and John Olerud (I liked one not the other, guess which is which).  They did sign Kevin Mitchell once.  Recently, the Mariners have been spurned by the top tier free agents (a good thing since most of them have had a few bad seasons). 

I'm not really a fan of this move - I would have preferred Nick Franklin (maybe more on that later)start the year at 2B.  Oh well, I guess i'll have to deal with Robinson Cano instead, too bad.  That is a lot of money for a lot of years. 

However, with contracts like these... it should not be viewed as a sunk cost.  There is always a surrender value to these deals (ability to offload player onto some other team, picking up portions of the salary).

Seattle Mariners Random Offseason Post

Spring Training begins in about two months.  So what are the Mariners next season - I guess that remains to be seen.

Thanksgiving Coincidence

I was watching Miracle on 34th Street and noticed that the date on the door said something like Closed for Thanksgiving November, 28th.

This year Thanksgiving fell on November 28th too.  So, I guess i'll take my house now - or I'd just settle for a winning lottery ticket. 

I guess the last time that happened was 2002 (apparently it falls on that date semi-frequently, it just hasn't happened for a while) - a rather forgettable year.

Unfun fact: Abraham Lincoln set Thanksgiving as the final Thursday in November, however the evil FDR set Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday in November (Roosevelt allegedly wanted the next to the last Thursday in November to be the "holiday")-  why (allegedly)...

An earlier Thanksgiving would give retailers a longer period of time to sell goods before Xmas.
 

Just Did Black Thursday

So I went to Wal-Mart today and possibly bought an item I shouldn't have (or a few).  No, I will not tell you what (and hopefully nobody else will either).  Ok, I bought some less expensive Blu-Rays, that is all anyone needs to know (no one title over $10).

I was surprised about how organized it appeared (at least where I was).  Maybe volume of people was down or something.  6 PM seems a little early though (maybe 7PM would be better).  I didn't do video games this year, so I mostly avoided that circus. 

As for an earlier Black Friday spilling into Thanksgiving....  I don't view Thanksgiving as a real holiday anyway.  It is just another day, nothing special.  It must suck for those poor retail workers to potentially get paid holiday pay for working a few hours. 

In many ways I find the earlier opening hours better than getting/staying up at/until midnight, 6 AM, or something like that.  I was done with the entirety of my shopping trip by 8:30 (and it only took that long because someone in front of me at the checkout line took forever.  I should be done stimulating the economy for a couple of weeks, at least.   
 

Halloween 4: The Halloween Pumpkin Picturing

So, here is where I post some generic pictures of some Halloween (one of the best holidays ever) related stuff.

Let's start with some disturbing before pictures

i Went Trick or Treating

Yes, I went trick-or-treating today.  Well, actually is was more of an escort a sort of niece-ish thing around on her trick-or-treating trip.  Unfortunately, society claims i'm too old to trick or treat. 

However, I saw a house that left out candy - so I took one piece.  Evil, aren't I.  There were two houses that gave me candy too (one a full sized Twix bar).

As a condition of taking the monster out trick-or-treating, I got 50% of the candy haul (which would have been more if the person was more efficient, and less random, in her trick-or-treating).  Anyway, that amounted to a respectable total of 135 pieces (a kid could make a killing in this area on Halloween).  Trick or treating always gave a decent variety of candy - far better than if you bought it yourself (though I did a little of that too). 

Here is a picture of my take.

Mary Shelley vs Boris Karloff

I was sitting in a library (I know horrible) and overheard an English tutor talking to a high school student about their paper on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  The claim they were making was that the Mary Shelley version of Frankenstein was so culturally significant.

My view is that the book is one thing, but not what propelled the character of Frankenstein into pop culture - that was the 1931 Universal movie (probably the best of the Classic Monster series, The Bride of Frankenstein is not bad either). 

So, in other words, in the US, the movie is far more culturally significant than the book.  Yes, this sounds strange, but I believe it to be true.  Most of the numerous parodies, sequels and references I have seen about Frankenstein reference the movie.  You may see a cartoon of other representation of Frankenstein, that is based off of the movie version (I never read the book). 

Happy Halloween

It's the most wonderful time of the year (oh wait that is purported to be Xmas)... 

Halloween has come again, as it usually does, on October 31st.  I vaguely (not as well as I would like) remember ridiculous inflatable head costumes and flimsy plastic masks.  I remember going door to door trick or treating.  I wish I could do that again, but people seem to take issues with people who might be chronologically considered adults doing that.  What a cruel, cruel world.

I consider Halloween (h a double l o w double e n) to be one of my high holidays (you know like Xmas, Friday the 13th, and odd dates like 11/12/13). 

I still wonder why Charlie Brown was given rocks when he trick or treats... there is a better than average chance they would be returned at a higher velocity than they were given (through translucent openings). 

Talking about houses that need to be egged... one of my alleged sisters will be giving out healthier things than candy.  The horror! The horror!  She is talking about things like pretzels and "healthy" granola bar type things.  Sorry ghouls, goblins, princesses, super heroes, monsters and miscellaneous. 

Giving out "healthy" "treats" is sacrilegious.  I guess it is better than that Halloween letter a lady in South Dakota is rumored to be giving out.  Sick and wrong.  I guess that is how movie villains like Mike Myers, Jason Voorhies and Freddy Kruger were created. 

Halloween Candy Awesomeness, In My Opinion

Halloween is rapidly approaching again (making me wish I was young enough to get away with Trick or Treating).  So, here is a pointless post on candy - specifically the candy I like. 

Here is what I would like to see in my bag (if the world weren't so cruel) - nothing white or dark chocolate, the pure sugar stuff (like smarties, bottle caps, etc - I could do without).  i am kind of addicted to Gobstoppers though.  I could also do without stuff like Charleston Chew.

Amazon.com Changes Free Shipping Amount

I just visited Amazon.com and discovered that free shipping has been increased from $25 to $35 (a $10 increase), that is one way to get me to potentially buy a little less. 

Amazon.com is still under siege from numerous states looking to charge sales tax for online purchases (even if there is not physical location in that state) - they split a couple of state supreme cases last week (Illinois threw it out, New York upheld theirs).

I am categorically opposed to charging sales tax on any online purchase (even if they have a physical location in the state of purchase), this applies to online video games (like Xbox Live/PSN), software downloads, movies or songs purchases too. 

Windows RT 8.1 Impressions

Well, I finally (and I mean finally) downloaded Windows 8.1 RT.  It only took my 5 hours to download it and 30 minutes or so to set it up.  It should be already installed on the new Surfaces and many new Windows 8/RT Tablets. 

The download size (for Windows RT 8.1) is stated at 2.11 GB, however I needed to delete an additional 1.5 (at least) to install it.  So, you might want to have 4.0 GB of free space.

For some reason, when you first run RT 8.1 things load really, really slow.  It may be a good idea after the install to run all of your apps at least once (as it seems to decrease load times on subsequent loads).  From what I can tell, Windows RT 8.1 seems to run a little slower than Windows RT. 

There were a couple of things that changed (or that I noticed)

Me For US President in 2016

As I wait for Windows 8.1 RT to finish downloading (will it be before the next debt ceiling instance)?  i really dislike the McConnel Rule (debt ceiling).  The debt ceiling and how the US uses it says a lot about how bad things are ($4+ trillion increase under Obama alone).  I got to thinking, how about another political type post.  The world doesn't have enough of those does it? 

Me for president of the US in 2016, why not?

Easing the US National Debt Problem

Yes, United States of America government, you have an addiction to debt.  Admitting it is the first step.  Any ratings agency that still gives the US a AAA is not doing their job. 

So what do I think should be done to decrease the debt burden (which is a tax on everything).  Some of this will not be easy to do.  Some of it will be painful, but the US government cannot continue to operate so deep in the red.  These steps aren't necessarily in order.

US Debt Ceiling, More Like US Debt Elevator

The more I see of the US government, the more I believe that they don't care at all about debt (especially the liberal faction).  It also shows that their view of what the federal government should be is way out of whack. 

Does the US government know what a ceiling is?  Their actions would lead me to believe that either the answer is "no" or more likely - they don't care at all.  A ceiling is supposed to operate as a hard cap, not as something to keep increasing over and over and over again. 

Esquire/NBC Politial Quiz

Pollsters have long mentioned the stratification of "main street" politics.  This is a short (hopefully) quiz to see what shiny new or old box your political views fit in on their spectrum..

NBC I can see, but Esquire?  Oh well let's take it shall we.  My super shocking results below the link (which hopefully works and is close enough).  Like most of these type of quizzes, it is a little simplistic and some of the classifications seem a little arbitrary.  This probably is more gauged towards the US than foreign countries. 

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/center-interactive-quiz

How i see the US Government Shutdown playing Out

The US government shutdown is on its 15th day (the modern record is still 21 days 1995-1996).  So how and when do I see this ending?

i believe that the shutdown will end on October 23rd. 

I fully believe that it is (and has always been) Obama's goal to "go over the cliff".  It is better for him and the democratic party to stonewall the House so they go over the cliff (for political reasons).  If they come to an agreement the week of October 20-26th they really don't stand to lose much (if anything) economically, but they will perpetually blame it on the Republicans (and with a biased media who would seemingly go out of their way to fellate Obama, i see the blame sticking intermediate/long term).  Going "over the cliff" (impacts way, way overblown) would also distract the media from the Obamacare rollout mess (and potentially keep at bay the outrage over sticker shock over the misnamed "Affordable Care Act"). 

Despite what you might have heard, this will not be the first default in US history and it certainly will not be the last. 

For other defaults in US history...
http://mises.org/daily/5463/A-Short-History-of-US-Credit-Defaults

US Government Shutdown: Obama and the Democrats are the Villians

The US government partial shutdown drags on for another day.  But did it really have to?  Why was there a shutdown at all?  Who is really to blame. 

Much of the news coverage is about how the Republicans are evilly shutting down the government because they hate Obamacare (rightfully so, the more I hear about it the worse it is).  The media (largely liberally biased) have latched on to the idea that the Republicans are holding the country hostage in some way. 

I don't see it that way.  I actually see it the complete opposite.  The Republicans in the House are doing their jobs.  They are doing what they got elected to do.  So, whose fault is the government shutdown (whose impact has been vastly overblown?).  They should not just roll over and do whatever the Democrats want them to do.

My Surface RT Report: October-ish 2013

Windows 8.1 (aka Windows Blue) RT hits on October 17th. 6 days away.  The Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 release on October 22nd.  Starting at $449 ($549 for 64GB) and $899 ($999/$1,299/$1,799). 

I have been using my Surface sporadically.  However since the last patch Tuesday (the 2nd Tuesday of the month if you didn't know), my Surface has been acting kind of unstable.  There must have been something in those 29 updates that messed things up a little.  It really, really slowed down and I had to delete numerous apps.  Maybe I should just refresh it again (but I would have to delete almost everything on it to free up enough space). 

Obamacare: Regressive Tax (hypothetical examples)

i was thinking about Obamacare again (there is just so much that doesn't seem right with their pitch).  I have decided that when a government forces a financial cash outflow on people (takes away the option of whether or not to do it) then it becomes a tax. 

So, Obamacare is a tax.  In taxation there are progressive taxes (I hate that term, where the higher the income level the higher the tax rates) and regressive taxes (the higher percentage of income from the lower income groups).

Obamacare, a steaming pile or a huge steaming pile

First off, i'm not a fan of Obamacare (affordable care act my keister).  This is a disaster of a program from vote to deeply flawed inception and inevitable fiscal cataclysm (no I am not overstating that).   

Here is a link to misleading data (a PDF file).
http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2013/MarketplacePremiums/ib_marketplace_premiums.cfm

If you think they will make tax credits permanent for policies (I wonder if they are non-refundable tax credits), you might be interested in this bridge I have to sell you.  That is just their way of claiming that it costs less, but I don't buy it.  The price is what it is offsetting tax credits do not change this.  i'm sure confusing conditions will apply (maybe like only if you are not eligible for other types of coverage, like through work). 

Seattle Mariners Managerial Search: Baseless Speculation

Recently, manager (and former mustache aficionado) Eric Wedge declined to rejoin the Seattle Mariners for the 2014 season.  This left the team with a managerial opening.  The point of this post is to wildly speculate on some people I might like to see as Seattle Mariners manager next year - that is not to say any of these names are remotely possible.  Actually, I want to see a super aggressive small ball manager (hit and run, stolen bases, etc - not this saber metric bore you to death crap).

I see the Mariners as being in a "Lefebvre Believer" scenario.  If you don't know (and you probably don't) Jim Lefebvre was the manager the first season the M's breached the .500 winning percent mark (in 1991, their 15th season of existence).  I expect the GM's job to be .500 in 2014 or have fun looking for a new job.  I expect the manager to get a two year contract (it is a nice audition with very little risk for a potential candidate).  Wild speculated names below

US Government Shutdown

If you are in the US and have listened to the news, you have probably heard about a government shutdown that started today.  My initial view is "so what".  Government shutdowns are not some new phenomenon.  They have happened before and they will happen again.

This is further exacerbated by a government that cares far more about finding ways to buy/control votes in elections than it does about responsibly spending hard earned taxpayer dollars (for the taxpayers not the government).  They can't come up with a budget, really?  Don't get me started on the insanity that is the debt ceiling (that comes later, more than likely the next shutdown). 

In my view, if the federal government shuts down and normal people can immediately feel the impact, the government is overstepping its bounds. 

Microsoft Surface 2 Announced. Impressions.

Well, Microsoft announced today that they are releasing the Surface 2 and the Surface Pro 2 on October 22nd (pre-orders are slated to start tomorrow).

http://www.microsoft.com/surface/en-us/pre-order

So, what did we find out about the announced sequels?

Microsoft Surface 2 Supposedly to Be Revealed Today

Well, the time has finally come for Microsoft (MSFT) to detail its successor to the under-rated Surface line of tablets.  

The Surface RT and the Surface Pro may not exactly have set the world on fire, but they were decent first offerings from MSFT into the tablet market. Will they release the rumored mini (8")?  Will their asking price not be as misaligned as last time? Will there be Windows 8 minis (not just Surface)?

So There Was Some Flooding in the Area

Recently there has been a lot of rain in the area.  This lead to some creeks, rivers, etc overflowing.  Notice I said "in the area".  Well, it turns out there was flooding in the area - just not this area.

Losery Post of Loserdom: Movies Watched Q2+

Well, it had been a while.  i'm sure there is nobody out there who actually wants to see this, but here goes....

I watched a few DVDs (and I probably "watched" more) these last couple months, hold your shocked sentiments until the period.  Ok, it's safe now.  This post basically covers one hold-over from the last period through August.  The fact that I can't remember most of the DVDs I got from the library suggest that maybe they weren't that good.  I did like most of the movies I saw in the theatre though (maybe not enough to buy them though), except Star Trek and Oblivion. 

Movie Impressions: Summer Movies

I am using the term "summer movies" kind of liberally here, as I will stretch it all the way back to March 2013.  At least I didn't have to pay to see a couple of these. 

So what "summer movies" have I seen, what movies interest me, and what movies will I wait to see from the library (sometimes, I get them quicker than Netflix or Redbox).

Movies Impressions: R.I.P.D.

My first movie impression post (I doubt i'll see enough to make it worthwhile). 

Grade: C- (average-ish, a decent cheap showing or a rental)

I just saw R.I.P.D. today.  If you don't know, RIPD is a movie based off of a Dark Horse comic book (I've never heard of) about dead lawmen fighting the undead menace (and trying to stop a "deado" apocalypse).  This movie stars Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges.  In it, Bridges plays a grizzled old west style lawman and Reynolds plays a modern day Boston area cop. The RIPD apparently recruits recently deceased police officers with skeletons in their closets (some might say "dirty").  In order to go to a better place in the afterlife (eventually) they are tasked with catching escaped souls (or bodies who didn't cross over).  After all, the living world is for the living, you couldn't have it be over-run with "deados" and their taste for cumin. 

Fitbit: Walking my First (and Only) Non-contiguous Marathon

What does the title mean?  Well, according to my Fitbit (pedometer) today I walked 26.22 miles. I have my doubts about the accuracy of the Fitbit distance (maybe steps and calories too), but i'll take it.  

Of course that wouldn't be all at once.  It was broken up into numerous "trips" that mainly covered the same stretch of trail (and a bunch of pacing).  I think it was over a 12 hour period.  Taking that many steps was probably kind of stupid (only 10.25 miles yesterday, 22,630 steps).  So how many step is that? 56,194 (for me).  2,143 steps per mile, that seems a little high to me (maybe not, it is one of the lower steps per mile I've had). 

Dariy Queen Blizzard and Summer Still Sucks

Lately I have been in the mood for a Blizzard (maybe this has to do with a long stretch of temperatures over 80°).  Anything over 65° is hot for me (Fahrenheit, though Celsius would be really, really hot). 

Flat 14ers: Part One Finished

So, I have been doing this thing with a pedometer that my sister got me.  Basically, this is kind of a walking challenge.  This is supposed to simulate walking from the trailhead to the summit of these "mountains" (notice the quotation marks).

Yes, this place called Colorado has 50+ peaks that have an elevation of over 14,000 ft  (roughly 4,267 meters).  The are only 7 "mountains" that have a prominence over 4,000 feet.  The tallest being Mt. Elbert at 14,400 feet (9,093 feet prominence).  By comparison, a real mountain (let's call it Mt. Tacoma/Tahoma) is 14,411 feet in elevation (13,211 feet in prominence).  Three of the 14ers have a higher elevation than Mt. Tacoma/Tahoma.

The first part covers 3 "mountain" ranges: Sawatch, Elk, Tenmile/Mosquito (simulating 28 peaks) and consists of 459,500 steps (229.75 miles).  It took me about 23 days to get that amount. 

Some semi-relevant linkage:
www.flat14ers.org
https://aom3.americaonthemove.org

Summer Should be Banned

If you ask some people what their favorite season is, i'm sure you would get plenty responses for summer.  Me, I don't care for the awful, awful season (i'm not a fan of spring either). 

This is not just because I didn't walk 3+ miles in 90°+ temperatures to pre-order a game console I though I wouldn't (and know I shouldn't), that would just be ridiculous - nobody would do that, right:?   

Down Izzy, quit jumping up on me and licking me... bad dog

What do people like about summer?
* It's sunnier and hotter out: sun kills (as do hot temperatures).  You never hear of people getting cancer for exposure to rain, do you?  Overcast skies are so much better.  There is less glare, for one.  When it gets hotter people have shorter fuses (maybe that is why things like accidents/road rage and murder might tend to go up when temperatures do

Sunshine on my shoulder most certainly doesn't make me happy - it actually kind of ticks me off. 

- apparently, hot temperatures can cause forest fires (there was one in this far-away place called Colorado that destroyed over 400 houses).

* Kids have school off: I see how it may be construed as a positive for the kids, but lets face it - one of the problems with schools is that they do the exact minimum legally required (maybe that's the union in it).  Schools should be longer and students can forget an awful lot in the 3 or so months of summer vacation.  The US school system needs to update the antiquated schedules they currently have. 

* Baseball season: ok, maybe the only good thing in my view. 

* No hockey:  ok that sounds good to me, maybe they still play in the permafrost of Canada though, eh?

Random Mariner Post 2: How Bad Have They Been?

Today I was bored and thought at the rate the current Seattle Mariners team is going what would their record be at the end of the season.  Let's just say it isn't pretty (though I do not believe they can extend their futility throughout the whole season). 

It started out as a question of how Total Total Based (TB+BB+HBP+SB) would look if divided by runs.  The theory was lower numbers were better on offense and worse on defense/pitching (kind of an offensive efficiency angle).  However, I got bored and went a different direction.   

Methodology: I can't stand "sabermetrics" so what am I using.  Something simple.  Using the current 2013 stats, I divided by .1481 (24/162). 

At their current pace, I have the Seattle Mariners year end record being 57-105. 

They would score 533 runs (2010 redux) yet give up 742 runs.   



I don't think the M's current pace of grounding into 195 double plays (or pitching giving up 300+ doubles and 229 HRs) will hold up. 

Totally Random Rambling Post About the Seattle Mariners

So, it is 20 games into the MLB season and much to my surprise the Seattle Mariners kind of suck.  Well, I guess they really haven't been relevant since 2008.  The AAA team does have more than one interesting player though. 

Political: Small Business and Goverenment Intervention (Clientele Choices)

Recently several of a certain types of stories have been surfacing.  The stories I am talking about are the ones where Business A gets sued by a customer that is refused service (the ones making news now are homosexual). 

In my view, this is an extreme over-reach by government (local).  Government should have no say whatsoever in clientele decisions.  I am really disappointed in these (mostly state) laws that contradict freedom of speech (via customer acceptance/denial).  After all, money is a very powerful form of economic speech.  These (usually anti-discrimination) laws should be thrown out and not apply to business decisions. 

Public "anti-discrimination" laws do not and should not apply to voluntary business transactions that occur in private stores. 

I do not view a business as a public environment.  It is a private service between a client and a store.  There is no place for interference by a government body.  A store is a private location and should not be seen as "public" for the purposes of these ridiculous laws.   A business should be allowed to refuse service to any potential customer for any reason.  A business is a private entity.  Government has no place to decide for the business owner who they do or do not serve.  It is a miscarriage of justice that they force private enterprise to do what the state wants.  

Random Surface RT stuff: Sales

I guess there is a Murphy's Law corollary that states that after you purchase something you will find it on sale. 

Well, there has recently been a sale on some of the stuff I purchased from the Windows Store (apps for my Surface RT). Actually, probably half of the apps/games I purchase have later gone on sale.  The games that haven't gone on sale were most likely free. 

Anyway, this time the there are two sales (who knows for how long).  The Miniclip stuff (Gravity Guy, Monster Island, and iStunt 2) are currently free.  There is also currently a sale on some Microsoft published titles (there are six of them, I forget what they are). 

So, I guess the lesson here is to wait to purchase a game for a month or 2 (until there might be a sale/ price decrease).   

Anit-Immigration Post

Recently I was flipping through TV channels.  Anyway, one of the talking heads on MSNBC (I hate that channel) was talking about immigration reform in the US saying that she believed that absolutely everybody who wanted in should be let it.

This is one of the dumbest comments I've ever heard.  The days of the US as a melting pot should be over.  A rapidly expanding economy needs workers, and the melting pot idea may have been useful 100 years ago - but it is much less useful today in a mature (or soon to be declining economy). 

Losery Post of Loserdom: Movies Watched Q1 2013

I guess it is time for another fluff post about the movies I saw in the last couple of months.  Once again I use the term "watched" though that may not be totally accurate.  It might be code for having something play, but I was playing Monsters Love Candy on my Surface RT or surfing the internet on my notebook. 

My Surface RT Report: March 2013

Well, another month has come and gone (like months typically do).  So how have I been enjoying my Microsoft Surface RT this month?

I am still using it mostly as an Xbox portable (with some email).

Happy Eostre

Well, happy Eostre. 

If you don't know what that is maybe Bing it.  Easter, yet another co-opted Christian holiday. 

For me, Easter (like Xmas) is a fully secular holiday.  It is about coloring eggs but not hiding them (it was always the candy that got hidden).  It is about the Easter bunny and Cadbury Mini Eggs (yummy Cadbury Mini Eggs). 

Political: Supreme Court and Gay Marriage

Here it goes...

Recently, the US Supreme Court has decided to take up the issue of gay marriage.  No, marriage is not a right.  What is with the US (post 1960s) trying to declare that absolutely everything is a right?  

I really don't see how this is remotely an issue for the federal government (state governments, yes).  If they actually make a ruling one way or another, I would consider it a bad ruling.  As I see it, the only responsible thing they could do is say it is up to the states/voters in those states.

So It Kind of Snowed Again

Who would have thought that the highest snowfall total of "storm" I would see this year would happen in late March?

Well, I think that is what happened (though I have no clue on amounts - other than in excess of the last time).  Ready for some (or two) pictures of common things (at least as far as snow is concerned) that may or may not make it look like more snow that it actually was?  Too bad, there will be  a few pictures anyway (yes, I know patio furniture type stuff is a cliché - too bad).  The ruler says that was about 9" on the bench.

My Surface RT Report: February 2013

So what has been going on in the exciting world of Windows RT?  Well the doomsayers are still out in full force.   I still don't get some of their reasons.  It is not that confusing (maybe I am overestimating the intelligence of consumers).  Sure it may not be selling great (much of that is actually a function of price and distribution channels), but does that really matter.  They also depressed sales by announcing the "pro" version before RT released.  If they switched the release order things would likely be doing better. 

Yet Another Disappointing Snow Storm

So, recently (like maybe Saturday) there was supposed to be a major snow storm here.  There was even a winter storm warning issued.  One local forecaster said that their might be up to 20" of snow from this storm in the metro area (oops CBS weatherman). 

So It Kind of Snowed Outside of Purgatory

Well, another disappointing snow event hit the area.  Yes, 7" is disappointing (after hearing about so much more possible).  7" of snow and school wasn't even delayed. 

This was the second disappointing snow event of the week (unless you live further east).  The geographical Purgatory (sort of) is a ski resort 340 miles away (something like that).  So I guess that would make it waaay outside of Purgatory (unless you consider religious implications of that might seem more apropos)

Anyway, sinister force wanted some bad pictures of the event.  Who would have thought that it would melt so quickly in sub-freezing temperatures.  These pictures are bad (even though they were all taken in auto mode)

My Surface RT Report: January 2013

Well the new year has come (thank you very much pseudo-Mayan doomsayers, too bad they were wrong).  It's been a while since my last "report" so let's see what has been going on.

Today's True Quote

"Gaze fondly upon today for tomorrow is bound to suck worse"

Grandfather Scarpacci (related by Antonio), Wings: Season 7 Episode: Grouses, Houses and Bickering Spouses

Mitt Romney Was Kind of Right

Recently, "news" has leaked where Mitt Romney claims he lost because the evil Obama guy won the elections with gifts to certain demographics.

Much like Mitt Romney's 47% comment, he is absolutely correct on this claim. 

RIP United States of America

Another election has come and gone.  Was this really "the most important election" in a while.  Initially, i brushed this off.  However, now i get the feeling that it might have been  (At least the incredibly stupid political ads are over). 

Maybe i shouldn't touch on the irony of candidates saying that they supported fiscal responsibility (like liberals ever have/will) yet spending in the neighborhood of $3 billion dollars campaigning.

Obama and Shared Sacrifice

Ok, so why am i thinking about Obama and rolling my eyes in disdain this time? 

Obama has long brought up the concept of "shared sacrifice" to justify tax increases to the other 53% or so of the population.  What he really is saying has nothing to do with "shared sacrifice" - it is a completely targeted forced "sacrifice" based on jealousy.  If you want "shared sacrifice" (otherwise known as "give me your money or else") everyone has to feel the pain.  Nobody should be excluded for any reason.  This should only deal with income like wages (not illusionary "capital gains" or interest income).       

Threats Facing the Middle Class

In some ways the middle class is very real, in other ways the middle class is just a theoretical construct (with moving goalposts). So, what are some of the challenges i see facing the middle and working class?

The Myth of the Middle Class

Political season is underway in the US (hold you booing and hissing until the end of the post).  This brings out all of the staples of politics: class warfare, immigration, taxes, etc.  One of the things you always seem to see is talk of how Policy X will impact the middle class.  Most people think they are in the middle class, but are they really?

The Politics of Jealousy

In this post i may subtly (or not so subtly) mention some of the things i currently dislike.

i was thinking recently about the Obama campaign and how the Democrats are trying to handle the election.  Yes, Obama seems more negative than i have seen in a while.  i guess this has to do with a flailing economy and high jobless numbers.  i guess it also helps that Obama's lauded "economic stimulus "didn't work - which was actually to be expected (Keynesian economics are short sighted and of diminishing effectiveness - assuming they ever had any in the first place). 

Tax Increase Hypocrisy (The Taxpayer)

This observation has been kicking around in my head for a little while.  What is my (off the cuff) thesis here?  Taxpayers are more than a little hypocritical. 

US Debt Limit: My Convoluted Partial Solution

The US government faces a small test on August 2nd (or around that time) on what to do with the debt ceiling.  It seems that the schism between the smaller government forces and those who would rather raise taxes than cut any spending are coming to a head.  This could be important as the US could be in default.  Basically, the problem is that congress keeps rubber stamping debt increases without any real intention to do anything about the real underlying problems that got the US into this precarious (and diminishing) position in the first place.  Inevitably, one of the sides will cave (and people will not be happy).

South Park Politics: Douche vs Turd and Other Stuff

The TV show South Park (Comedy Central) frequently broaches political issues all across the board.  i thought that since i have to make posts, occasionally, that i might tackle a few issues and annoyances in that way.

Reproductive Rights

Ok, so i may touch on subjects i previously covered (even i don't remember all i write)...  Now, i'll go into somewhat conservative mode (actually a little harder line than most conservatives).  i was watching a thoroughly mediocre move, Switch, recently which got me thinking about some of these issues again. 

Apathy

So, i noticed i haven't posted here for a while.  i may not post much for a while.

The US is still acting like a country that is playing Russian Roulette with 5 bullets (and the people in charge seem to want to lose).  The problems is not so much that i have nothing to say.  The problem is that at the moment, i don't really care.  i'm feeling somewhat isolated from the "real world" lately.  i haven't been watching news or any of that kind of thing for a while.  Maybe something will spark a posting frenzy in the future.

Osama Bin Laden - Why Should i Care?

So, apparently the US is beating its chest over the death of Osama Bin Laden.

This leads me to ask the question  - why?   At first, i thought the guy was 70+ (he looked it) - but it turns out that he was 54.  In killing him, the US only succeeded in turning him into a martyr.  Capturing him alive would have been far more symbolically successful.  Couldn't they have just pulled a Manuel Noreiga and blast truly horrible music live - like Ke$ha or Lady Gaga until they surrendered or met the afterlife on their own.  If you lose either of those two, no big deal.  So this is what America has become....

Fiscal Responsibility: Is Obama a Moron (or does he just think you are)

So, apparently Barack Obama (dumbo, as i call him) is sort of reacting to the impeding debt ceiling vote by talking about ways to decrease the budget deficit - here is a free tip, try spending less than you take in.

Profoundly Stupid Ideas: Government Debt to Itself

In my last post i mentioned a big problem i have with the "social security trust fund".  In this post, i might give you some reasons.  There is another point i want to make - social security is a tax and that is all (it is not some form of savings account).

Government has no real means of saving money (they just can't do it).  It is not like they can take excess money and buy tons of gold (it is probably "too risky" - and if they did it would likely mess up commodity markets).  They are somewhat risk averse (or are they?) into how they can "invest" excess money - they actually cannot. 

US Debt Limit - How to Cut 2 - 5 Trillion Dollars

Ok, so i am a little US centric since i do not spend any time out of it (unless you consider Cascadia not a part of the US - i wish).

So, what is the easy way for the US to just erase 2 to 5 trillion dollars of debt?  Basically it just has to admit that one thing in particular is a scam.  This comes to mind because the next government showdown will be over raising the debt limit. 

Blog Post Redux: Feminism

Feminism: Maybe You Can But Should You (5/2/09)

Springing out of the chaotic 60s and 70s (too bad we can’t erase that time period) and following on the heels of the civil rights movement (again, not a fan) came feminism.  Feminism was about girl power (no, that was the Spice Girls).  It was about woman power.  Ostensibly, feminism was about equality and choice (they thought that they should be more equal to men).  How could something that sells itself as equality turn so wrong (i hate the term “equality”, in Economics classes they said there were two goals – conflicting as they were – equality and efficiency.  Guess what one i am a fan of?).  The Roe vs Wade ruling from this era was complete garbage (Feminism taken to the extreme, giving people choice over a natural phenomenon – when the choice had already been made). 

Taxation Revisited: Previous Blog Posts

Previous Blog posts from my old Windows Live Space.  

Rant: The Tax Code  (4/10/2009)

The day that the the trough is filled for the insatiable, voracious spending machine known as the federal government to gorge itself on the livelihood of its citizens and then ask for seconds nears.  If anyone asks if you believe in vampires, you can say that yes the IRS does exist (or would you rather call them blood sucking leaches).  To be fair-ish, should you really blame Frankenstein (or more literally Frankenstein’s monster) for running amok?  The IRS is America’s Frankenstein’s Monster (it definitely has run amok among the villagers, but seems to be less militant now than it was). 

The Electoral College and You

This is another post i dusted off of my former Windows Live Space. i am not completely sure how i came up with the numbers i did.  i had some rationale, i just don't remember it

Musing on Educational Productivity

The following post was originally posted April 8, 2009 on my now non-existent Windows Live Space

Educational Productivity (4/8/2009)
In WA, the governor is making waves with students by giving state colleges (and community/technical colleges) leeway to increase tuition.  The students (and the ones lucky enough to have their parents pay for college) are not exactly thrilled. The governor is also recommending cuts in the number of acceptances to colleges.  Ok, so here goes the obvious question...  How do you define productivity in education?

The War on Teachers

i have been seeing numerous forum posts, stated opinions, etc. declaring that there is currently a war on teachers.  Declaring that is an act of hyperbole.  What is really rightfully under attack is the teacher unions (and associated benefits and tenure).  There is a big difference between a revenue generating organization employing people and the government taking money from the taxpayers to pay workers.  These unions are a big problem when you are talking about changing the system for the better. 

The Big Problem with Schools

i was reading some thing online about the "war on teachers" that seems to be making the rounds these days.  i probably will not totally get into that in this post.  So, what is the biggest problem with the school system in the US?

Protesters: Agents for Change or Useful Idiots

So apparently, there has been unrest in the Middle-East (when isn't there).  Governments are coming under pressure from revolutionary movements.  There is no such thing as a peaceful revolution.

Personally, my vote would go to useful idiots 

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 13: The Constitution

The Constitution
Here is where i get to post my views on the Constitution of the United States.  Let's put it this way... the Constitution was a nice blueprint to run a nation - but it does have problems.  The more amended it gets, the less it is like it is supposed to be.

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 12: Immigration and Population

Immigration and Population:

Here is where i ditch the slightly decent persona.  Let's make a couple of things immediately clear:
1) i view population increase as a net negative that does more harm than good
2) i am ok with open borders for economic activity, but definitely not for immigration.

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 11: Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy:

Introduction:
So, what should the focus and purpose of US foreign policy be?  That is today's question.  Foreign policy is a tricky issue that involves both military and economic interests.  There are numerous real world subtleties that i will mostly ignore here.

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 10: Policy Considerations

Policy Issue Guidelines for this Conservative

Problem 

Goal

Methodology (How you are going to deal with something)

Specifics 

Follow Up

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 9: Science, Medicine and the Arts

Science, Medicine, the Arts and Government

What Should Science Do?

Firstly, I guess I should state the role that I see appropriate for the government and funding scientific research.  That role is … nothing.  Taxpayer dollars should not be spent on scientific pursuits (unless these pursuits can be shown to make money for the government).  Humans have a natural curiosity about them about the universe and their place in it.  Science can give some answers, but at great costs (especially financially).  Things like the CDC are a bit more complicated.   

Think of it more as an investment model – only pay for things that financially enrich the country.  This would mean that a group like NASA shouldn’t send up space shuttles (at great expense) for missions that are just a cash drain.  Missions with real money on the line (like deploying satellites) might make sense if the cost of the mission is covered by the mission itself.  Planning a manned expedition to Mars would be a waste of resources that could better be used elsewhere. 

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 8: The Economy: Part 2

The Economy

Free Trade

From the minimum basics to recessions, I now segue to free trade.  So what is the big deal with free trade and why do people want it?  I will borrow a little from Adam Smith (though he didn’t like corporations).  This deals with division of resources (one of which is labor).  I want to maximize the efficient usage of resources.  To do this, you have to accept that different areas have different strengths and weaknesses.  Countries like China and India have a huge amount of potential labor.  There are so many people available that the wages will be very low (especially compared to a country like the US, maybe a bad example).  Some countries have ample supplies of resources that other countries could use in manufacturing or other productive pursuits.  Some countries have a more educated population who are better with technology.  It is these strengths and weaknesses that necessitate free trade. 

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 8: The Economy: Part 1

The Economy

Introduction

Without an economy you could not have economics.  That would have made my Economics and Business Administration double major even more useless than it has proven to be.  So what should I talk about here?  Maybe it should be a surprise to even me.  Bottom line, I like free market economics and free trade.  Should I try to explain why?  Ok, if you beg maybe I will.  Anyone, anyone, anyone …. Bueller?

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 7: Social Issues

Social Issues

Introduction

This is the section where I talk about some domestic (government) type issues.  Many of the social issues should be discussed at the state level, not the federal level.  Social security, the current health care debate, abortion, gay marriage and maybe more will be touched on in some way.  There may be a slight economics component to some of the sections.  Some of this will include money, some of it will not

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 6: Taxation

Taxation

Introduction

In this section, I will touch on some of the types of taxation and the issues involved.

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 5: Government: Part 2

Government

Representative Government – Not So Fast

Apparently, the US has a representative government.  One of the problems, though, is that the representatives seemed to have forgotten who they are representing.  Much is made about campaign finance.  Politics is an expensive game/occupation.  It takes an ever growing amount of money to stay competitive (or at least it seems that way, even grassroots movements seem to be well funded).  Sometimes in order to secure funding a politician has to align themselves with a specific group (a group who probably wants a degree of input in the decision process).  In order to keep the money flowing, they have to meet with groups during their time in office.  Another trend is strict partisanship.  It seems you are voting more for the party line more than the candidate (and as a consequence, the representatives don’t tend to deviate too far from the platform).   So between the party and the backers, it is hard to tell who the candidate is really representing.  It is one thing to have a brand identity (like Republican or Democrat), but the slavishness is a new twist. 

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 5: Government: Part 1

Government

Introduction

This section probably has the topics for several books (if I could write, which I obviously can’t).  Basically this will be: what I believe the role of government is and some of its failures.  Some of my views may be shocking (or counter to what you believe).  There are so many things about government to explain.  I will most likely be talking about the congress (legislative level).

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 4: Education

Education

 

Now is the part where I talk (meaning type, keyboard, or whatever you want to call it) about education, more specifically the educational system.  Is the status quo in education effective?  Are teachers actually overpaid?  How should schools be funded (what is the most ethical way to fund them)?  What roles should the schools actually have (hint it is not secondary parent)? In no particular order, I will get this section started

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 3: The Family

FAMILY

This is the part where I get to say what I believe the role of the family unit is.  i will also touch on issues such as marriage (and its definition), divorce and whatever else i want to cover.  The definitions of what a family are may have changed over time from the “golden age” nuclear family to the mixed family and single parent households of today.  In the “golden age” or Leave It to Beaver form, there was a father, a stay at home mother, two kids and a dog living in the suburbs in a house with a white picket fence.  That would probably be seen as quaint by today’s warped standards.

 

So what do I see the role of family?  i am going to go primarily with the family angle.  The goal is to create a loving environment where the parents can impart a moral and ethical code for children.  The parents can have a good home even without marriage.  There does not necessarily have to be a genetic connection to be a family. The parents should teach kids have to behave ethically in situation and try to promote the development of the child.  Basically, teach the child what in life they view as important.  

There is also the first exposure that the child will have to economics.  How do they impart the knowledge that the toys the kid has flashed in front of their eyes are wants and not needs?  I guess the concept of chores and allowances (hopefully tied to each other, to explain a monetary connection between effort/labor and reward/money) is an important step.  

Family should aim to create a stable and safe environment for the kid to grow up (and live vicariously through them if you are so inclined).  However, the family should recognize that as the child grows up there will be clashes with parents.  The parents should not belittle the kid’s views if they disagree with them, but ask them to explain why (to improve critical thinking ability).  So, a parent is a: teacher, and employer, a caretaker, a source of transportation, a religious leader, a role model (it is really important to remember that) and many other things to the child.       

Marriage – Definitions and stuff

So what constitutes marriage and what legal role should it play and who should be allowed to marry?  From the government standpoint, marriage deals mainly with reproduction (whether or not the definition should be more broad is open to debate).  This should be decided at the state level by the people with no federal (or court) level intervention.  Many of the social debates relating to marriage and its definitions are based off of marriage as a legal partnership (as opposed to the legislated reproductive angle). 

Marriage as a partnership is strange concept.  On one hand it makes sense, as the formation of the foundation of the family deals with the connection between two people (more if you want to define it that way) both personally and economically.  Personally, I do not believe that the government should be dealing with what a marriage is, as it is largely a societal construct (steeped in religious traditionalism).  I do not believe that a marriage is something that should be recognized officially as a legal construct.  Marriage is definitely not a right. Different cultures have different views on what is appropriate in the marriage construct, with cultural and other valid reasons why a marriage should be defined as such in that context.  

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 2: People

People: What is Their Deal

 “People are people, so why should it be you and me get along so awfully.”  This is a quote from a Depeche Mode song from the 80s.  But basically there are many reasons people don’t get along.  The reasons range from superficial (outward appearance), philosophy, xenophobic feelings (unknown), life experiences and many other things. Things like racism (a form of xenophobia) are actually natural reactions related to fear of an unknown entity.  This is the section where I tackle people and some things that I believe are inherently wrong with them (and the assumptions I view them as operating under).  

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 1: Intro

Part 1: Intro

Welcome to my conservative manifesto.  i know there are a myriad of books, articles and maybe even radio talk shows that articulate conservative belief systems.  So, why am I taking the time to write out semi-comprehensively why I consider myself a conservative and what I believe in as it relates to a broad range of topics?  Conservatives, like liberals are not all the same there are different shades and beliefs that fall within the concept.  I thought that I would articulate (maybe superficially where I stand on certain issues).  This is mostly for my benefit, but maybe someone out there can actually get something from what i write. 

This whole process of defining my beliefs started when I was lurking on a Conservative Thinking In America thread that was posted in the Politics section of the Amazon Gold Box forums.  In this thread, conservatives were discussing issues (actually it started that way, then quickly degraded to an insult session by liberals and Marxists – one of my reasons I don’t exactly view liberals in high esteem.  The shear amount of hypocrisy and insults in those i have dealt with).  Anyway, one day I decided to post why I considered myself conservative and some of my basic policy views.  Then I expanded into different concepts such as taxation and government services such as health care (don’t get me started on the vote in the House of Representatives).  Then that turned into my first version (I usually don’t write multiple versions and kind of write in a stream of consciousness method – some of my best papers I wrote in school, I didn’t know what I wrote until I read it).   

Political Rantlette

Political mid-term campaigns are (hopefully) winding down.  So, in a few weeks i won't have to be bombarded by campaigns (especially) Democratic where the candidate is touting some counter-productive ideal that is disastrous in the real world (the rising tide of liberal fascism).  Should a democrat add make the republican candidate look better? 

And So It Begins... Some Light Background

i have noticed that online places like message boards are more dogmatic parroting sessions as opposed to actual discussions.  It is obvious to me that some people really don't know why they, apparently, have the political views they do. 

i took that information and decided to try and write down why i held the political views that i do.  This led to me writing "My Conservative Manifesto".  i think there is probably enough material for over 100 posts here based off me rewriting specific items (i wonder if multi-page posts work).  This should give me a lot of posts at the start as i break it down into (hopefully) more managable chunks.  i've been thinking about rewriting it for a while (maybe adding topics).  Maybe these future posts (when i actually get around to doing them) will actuall be readable too.

i wouldn't say that i am necessarily a typical conservative (mostly fiscal conservative).  So, do not take my personal views as representing conservatives in general.  This is just a little insight into my twisted and warped mind.  So here is the link to my manifesto (it is in the office format .XPS, which is like PDF).  Try to read at your own risk, if you dare

http://cid-c67fdccca0fc034e.office.live.com/self.aspx/Public/My%20Conservative%20Manifesto.xps

 

Original Post Date: 11/18/10 

Political Posts: Don't Call it a Comeback

Ok, so I currently have a "political" blog.  When I thought about it, I thought I could have a semi-active posting session. 

However I have been struck with a crippling case of apathy.  Don't get me wrong, the world still sucks, daily life sucks and the people running things are idiots (or do they really think their programs do anything good - like vote buying schemes).  It's just why should I care?  There is a point when you realize that things have moved on and what is left isn't worth saving. 

Several of these posts may be "repatriating" on this blog.  I have 45 posts there, but I doubt all with make the arduous journey back (the political blog was a spin off from here).  If you care about any of that, look for the tags "political" and MCM.   

Edit: I deleted my former political blog 30sc. 

Losery Post of Loserdom: Movies Watched in Q4

I guess I "watched" a couple of DVDs since my last post of loserdom.  This post covers Q4 (October-December).  i'm sure I will miss several DVDs between this post and the last one.

This time period contained Halloween, so I am sure there will be several horror movies listed.  The highlights of this list for me include: The Bourne Legacy and American Reunion. The lowlights include: Brave, Dark Shadows, The Descent, Game of Thrones: Season 1 and Lair of the White Worm. Ok movies include: Arthur Christmas, Expendables 2 (better than the first), Dead Alive, A Nightmare on Elm Street,