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
Thursday, October 31, 2013
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.
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).
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 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.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
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.
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)
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)
Thursday, October 17, 2013
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?
Me for president of the US in 2016, why not?
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
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
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
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.
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.
Friday, October 11, 2013
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).
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).
Thursday, October 3, 2013
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).
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).
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).
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
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
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
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
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.
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.
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