Here in Australia, and I suspect all over Europe too, they don't understand the US system of presidential elections. They don't understand how someone who doesn't win the popular vote can win the presidency. They think that it is some sort of evil mechanism designed to disenfranchise minorities and and to thwart the will of the people.
Since the overseas media tends to hate George Bush, they are told that they too must hate Bush. Thus, they can't imagine anyone in the US voting for Bush. Thus, the fact that he won the 2000 and 2004 elections, must mean that the election was rigged. The fault, therefore, must be this mysterious "Electoral College.
Today I read a column in Newsweek by George F. Will that does an excellent job of explaining exactly what the benefit of our system is. He explains how the system is designed to prevent the tyranny of the majority. It is designed to bust up power blocks in order to represent all Americans.
It has been my observation that many people in the world think a democracy is a system of government where everyone gets to vote for their leaders. Once the votes are counted and winners installed in office, then democracy will be achieved and everything will be great.
But they are wrong. That is only the start. This power must be counterbalanced by a respect for the rights and the opinions of the minority. There must be limits on the power granted. Otherwise, such a democracy is simply a tyranny of the majority.
The founding fathers of the US recognized this. That is why they added the Bill of Rights to the constitution. They drew "Do not cross!!!" lines around the the government precisely to prevent this trampling of minority beliefs. The electoral college is another system they implement to prevent the excessive accumulation of power.
Years ago, that late 80's I think, I watched a TV series on PBS that analyzed democratic countries around the world. One episode looked at Ireland. It demonstrated that a flaw in their implementation of democracy was a large contributer to the problems in Northern Ireland. The Protestant citizens of Northern Ireland simple do not want to become a powerless minority within greater Ireland. They felt that the Irish government could not protect them, and would instead subject them to the rules of the majority.
Their fears were well founded. The Catholic church held great influence over Irish law, such making abortions and birth control illegal in Ireland. The Irish government, rather than restricting itself to matters that all Irish could agree on, allowed a majority opinion to intrude on beliefs of a minority.
Any nation that systematically tramples the deeply held beliefs of the minority simply because it conflicts with the majority will find themselves in a civil war. The solution is to respect rights, and to not allow one part of the nation to tell another part how to live their lives.
This exact problem is wrecking Iraq now. The Iraqis expect that a democratically elected Iraqi government will simply implement the will of the majority at the expense of the minority. Those in power will use their votes to encode their religious beliefs as law. For example, right after their elections, some of their elected leaders where trying to implement into the constitution a rules that gives daughters only half the inheritance of their brothers, which is the practice within their faith.
That example demonstrates how the elected majority is overstepping their bounds and intruding into matters they should not. They do not consider that others may not wish to have this as a law, or that they have no business even putting such matters into the constitution. Hence, their current bloody civil war is the result.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Feb 2009 - TV is going dark
For those back in the US who don't know by now, on 17-Feb-2009, less than two years from now, over-the-air analog TV in the US is going dark. That means that your old TV's and VCR's will no longer have a TV signal to pickup.
What is Digital TV?
All over-the-air TV broadcasts after that date will be exclusively digital. The larger broadcasters have already invested in the digital transmission equipment and are already broadcasting in digital. Not only are they broadcasting the same programming that is being sent over the classic analog transmission, they are broadcasting extra channels on the digital side. Often they broadcast a high-def (HDTV) version of the same content, and in some cities, entire new channels with different content.
The smaller broadcasters, especially the UHF stations, are still broadcasting analog. They don't have the money to switch. So they are either going to close. Or they will require a grant from the government to switch. As of today, the future of these stations is still not resolved.
Does This Mean I'm Hosed?
Now this doesn't mean that your old TV's and VCR's are not going to work any more. It simply means that the receiver built inside will not find any content from an aerial antenna. You can still feed your TV and VCR content from other sources. Most people in the US no longer get their content from an Over-The-Air antenna anyhow. They get it from cable or satellite TV. So for those people, they won't even notice.
Digital Converter Boxes:
For those left, you can either replace your TV with a newer model that have a digital receiver built in. Or you can get an external digital-to-analog receiver. That is a little box that will take a digital signal and convert to a analog signal that is feed into the TV's antenna input port.
The problem with converter is that they usually only convert one channel at a time. And you have to tell the converter what digital channel you want to watch. That means you have to change channels on the converted box instead of the TV. Most converter boxes also have volume control. So at least you can control both the channel and volume from the same remote control.
In the US, the NTIA will be proving two $40 coupons per household for converter boxes. Read about it here. This program will start in 2008. So you have all of 2008 to get over to digital before the old system goes dark in 2009.
I already have a converter box that I bought at Radio Shack (Tandy here in Australia) that I use for my old analog TV at home. It was their cheapest model, costing me around $80 AUD, which is around $60 USD. It works great. I get all the channels crystal clear, plus two extra digital only channels, plus some nice digital music channels. All are free.
I predict that the $40 coupons will cover 100% of the costs of the low-end model boxes that will be sold in the US in 2008. Considering that they cost almost that now, $40 will be the magic number the retailers will shoot for.
Even if you don't need a converted box because you only watch cable TV, I would recommend that you still go ahead and get the coupon and get a converter box for your old TV. Even of you don't use it, you will still need it should you sell the TV, or decide to cut off your cable. Also, if your cable gets cut off, then at least you can get some programming.
Aren't My Taxes Buying The Boxes?
Yes and no. Your taxes are buying the boxes initially. But once the old analog TV frequencies are shut off, then the FCC can auction them off to other wireless companies after March 2009. The income from the new leases on those frequencies will more than pay for all the boxes sold.
Your Old VCR:
If you have an analog VCR, then things get complicated. You can't watch one channel while recording a second. You can't program the VCR to record from different channels at different times. What you have to do is stick a converter between your antenna and the VCR. Then you have to program the converter to tune the desired station at the desired time. You have to synchronize the two devices.
Personally I don't think it would be worth investing in a converter for a VCR. It is just too much of a pain in the ass to sync the two to make sure you get your program recorded. It would be cheaper and easier to invest in a digital recorder. Or if you can even find one, a digital VCR.
Do I need an HDTV?
Not at all. DTV means "Digital Television". HDTV means "High Definition Television". All HDTV is digital. But not all digital is HDTV. Make sense?
The "D" stands for definition, not digital. It simply refers to the density of the image that is being displayed. There is Standard Definition Television, often called SDTV. HDTV has more pixels (dots) for the image. It also has a different aspect ratio.
Your old analog TV sets can only display standard definition images. Over the air digital TV will be broadcast as SDTV. It may also be simultaneously broadcast on another channel as HDTV. So you aren't going to miss any content. It only means that you won't get the visually stunning version of it.
F.U.D. Scams
I suspect that in 2008 we are going to see a lot of FUD scams as a result of this switch over. FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. If you don't already know this, FUD is the greatest sales tool ever created in the history of mankind. It is the opposite of greed, and often more effective.
There is already a lot of FUD out there regarding the switch over. In particular, the scammers are going to target the elderly and non-English speakers by confusing them with acronyms and half truths. So it is emparative the we keep an eye on our family and friends to make sure they they do not fall for scam. Inform them that before they buy anything, they talk to you.
Antennas
One thing scammers are already doing is selling people new antennas that they don't need. They will convince someone that their current antennae won't work with digital TV and that they will need to buy a new one and pay to have it installed.
There is a kernel of truth to this. Digital TV, unlike analog TV, is either on or off. You won't get a bad picture. You either get a perfect picture, or non at all. So if get poor analog reception, there is a chance that you won't get a strong enough digital signal to view channels.
But remember that The broadcasters have know about this switchover for a long time. The digital transmitters they have installed and are installing are new. So they have not sunk any money into maintaining their old analog broadcasting equipment. So the digital replacement may actually be better because they have upgraded the location and strength
So your analog reception experience has no bearing on your digital reception experience. You simply need to install your digital receiver and see what you get. You might need to turn your antenna a little to optimize your signal. There are websites dedicated to telling you what the best antenna and direction to use for your home's location. But don't pay for anything until you know for sure that you need it.
High Def Receivers:
The second scam will occur within the stores. The sales people would love to sell you a high-def digital receiver instead of a standard-def receiver. They cost more, often 5X as much. If your TV can't display a high-def picture (the analog one's can't), then spending money on a high-def receiver is a waste of money.
The high def receivers will support standard def. So the salesman won't be lying when they tell you that it will work. It will. But you will be paying for extra capability that you can't do anything with.
If you wait to 2008, and use you $40 coupon, then all you will be able to afford is a basic standard def receiver. That will be more more than enough for your needs. Until you decided to plunk down the money to get a high-def display, then you don't need a high-def source to feed it.
Summary:
I was thinking that this switchover in 2008 would be a perfect merit badge project for boy-scouts and girl-scouts. Anyone who finds themselves overwhelmed by all of this could ask their local troop for on-site assistance. Or perhaps high-school band camps could use ask for donations for helping people.
What is Digital TV?
All over-the-air TV broadcasts after that date will be exclusively digital. The larger broadcasters have already invested in the digital transmission equipment and are already broadcasting in digital. Not only are they broadcasting the same programming that is being sent over the classic analog transmission, they are broadcasting extra channels on the digital side. Often they broadcast a high-def (HDTV) version of the same content, and in some cities, entire new channels with different content.
The smaller broadcasters, especially the UHF stations, are still broadcasting analog. They don't have the money to switch. So they are either going to close. Or they will require a grant from the government to switch. As of today, the future of these stations is still not resolved.
Does This Mean I'm Hosed?
Now this doesn't mean that your old TV's and VCR's are not going to work any more. It simply means that the receiver built inside will not find any content from an aerial antenna. You can still feed your TV and VCR content from other sources. Most people in the US no longer get their content from an Over-The-Air antenna anyhow. They get it from cable or satellite TV. So for those people, they won't even notice.
Digital Converter Boxes:
For those left, you can either replace your TV with a newer model that have a digital receiver built in. Or you can get an external digital-to-analog receiver. That is a little box that will take a digital signal and convert to a analog signal that is feed into the TV's antenna input port.
The problem with converter is that they usually only convert one channel at a time. And you have to tell the converter what digital channel you want to watch. That means you have to change channels on the converted box instead of the TV. Most converter boxes also have volume control. So at least you can control both the channel and volume from the same remote control.
In the US, the NTIA will be proving two $40 coupons per household for converter boxes. Read about it here. This program will start in 2008. So you have all of 2008 to get over to digital before the old system goes dark in 2009.
I already have a converter box that I bought at Radio Shack (Tandy here in Australia) that I use for my old analog TV at home. It was their cheapest model, costing me around $80 AUD, which is around $60 USD. It works great. I get all the channels crystal clear, plus two extra digital only channels, plus some nice digital music channels. All are free.
I predict that the $40 coupons will cover 100% of the costs of the low-end model boxes that will be sold in the US in 2008. Considering that they cost almost that now, $40 will be the magic number the retailers will shoot for.
Even if you don't need a converted box because you only watch cable TV, I would recommend that you still go ahead and get the coupon and get a converter box for your old TV. Even of you don't use it, you will still need it should you sell the TV, or decide to cut off your cable. Also, if your cable gets cut off, then at least you can get some programming.
Aren't My Taxes Buying The Boxes?
Yes and no. Your taxes are buying the boxes initially. But once the old analog TV frequencies are shut off, then the FCC can auction them off to other wireless companies after March 2009. The income from the new leases on those frequencies will more than pay for all the boxes sold.
Your Old VCR:
If you have an analog VCR, then things get complicated. You can't watch one channel while recording a second. You can't program the VCR to record from different channels at different times. What you have to do is stick a converter between your antenna and the VCR. Then you have to program the converter to tune the desired station at the desired time. You have to synchronize the two devices.
Personally I don't think it would be worth investing in a converter for a VCR. It is just too much of a pain in the ass to sync the two to make sure you get your program recorded. It would be cheaper and easier to invest in a digital recorder. Or if you can even find one, a digital VCR.
Do I need an HDTV?
Not at all. DTV means "Digital Television". HDTV means "High Definition Television". All HDTV is digital. But not all digital is HDTV. Make sense?
The "D" stands for definition, not digital. It simply refers to the density of the image that is being displayed. There is Standard Definition Television, often called SDTV. HDTV has more pixels (dots) for the image. It also has a different aspect ratio.
Your old analog TV sets can only display standard definition images. Over the air digital TV will be broadcast as SDTV. It may also be simultaneously broadcast on another channel as HDTV. So you aren't going to miss any content. It only means that you won't get the visually stunning version of it.
F.U.D. Scams
I suspect that in 2008 we are going to see a lot of FUD scams as a result of this switch over. FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. If you don't already know this, FUD is the greatest sales tool ever created in the history of mankind. It is the opposite of greed, and often more effective.
There is already a lot of FUD out there regarding the switch over. In particular, the scammers are going to target the elderly and non-English speakers by confusing them with acronyms and half truths. So it is emparative the we keep an eye on our family and friends to make sure they they do not fall for scam. Inform them that before they buy anything, they talk to you.
Antennas
One thing scammers are already doing is selling people new antennas that they don't need. They will convince someone that their current antennae won't work with digital TV and that they will need to buy a new one and pay to have it installed.
There is a kernel of truth to this. Digital TV, unlike analog TV, is either on or off. You won't get a bad picture. You either get a perfect picture, or non at all. So if get poor analog reception, there is a chance that you won't get a strong enough digital signal to view channels.
But remember that The broadcasters have know about this switchover for a long time. The digital transmitters they have installed and are installing are new. So they have not sunk any money into maintaining their old analog broadcasting equipment. So the digital replacement may actually be better because they have upgraded the location and strength
So your analog reception experience has no bearing on your digital reception experience. You simply need to install your digital receiver and see what you get. You might need to turn your antenna a little to optimize your signal. There are websites dedicated to telling you what the best antenna and direction to use for your home's location. But don't pay for anything until you know for sure that you need it.
High Def Receivers:
The second scam will occur within the stores. The sales people would love to sell you a high-def digital receiver instead of a standard-def receiver. They cost more, often 5X as much. If your TV can't display a high-def picture (the analog one's can't), then spending money on a high-def receiver is a waste of money.
The high def receivers will support standard def. So the salesman won't be lying when they tell you that it will work. It will. But you will be paying for extra capability that you can't do anything with.
If you wait to 2008, and use you $40 coupon, then all you will be able to afford is a basic standard def receiver. That will be more more than enough for your needs. Until you decided to plunk down the money to get a high-def display, then you don't need a high-def source to feed it.
Summary:
- Wait until 2008 and get your coupons for every analog TV and VCR you own.
- Exchange the coupons for converter boxes. Do not buy anything extra.
- Hook the box to your antenna and see what digital stations it finds.
- If you can not get any stations, go to the internet and see what antenna recommendations are there for your location.
- If you can't figure this out, get your boxes and bribe your local teenage geek to hook it up for you.
I was thinking that this switchover in 2008 would be a perfect merit badge project for boy-scouts and girl-scouts. Anyone who finds themselves overwhelmed by all of this could ask their local troop for on-site assistance. Or perhaps high-school band camps could use ask for donations for helping people.
What was I drinking???
I went to a birthday party last night. Got pretty buzzed on some good vodka. When I woke up this morning, I found this video sitting in my RSS feed. I watched it thought I was still drunk and experiencing some twisted nightmare. My review in one word: Craptacular!
This is a a clip from an Indian Bollywood movie staring Supermand and Spiderwoman (there was spider woman???). Spiderwoman sounds like her singing is really nothing but stomping on squirrels. The fight scene where they rescue an old woman from nasty muggers is a riot. The choreography is a riot. What moves!
The special effects are hilarious. Notice how they always fly over the same small landscape everytime?
Well enjoy, and be mortified.
This is a a clip from an Indian Bollywood movie staring Supermand and Spiderwoman (there was spider woman???). Spiderwoman sounds like her singing is really nothing but stomping on squirrels. The fight scene where they rescue an old woman from nasty muggers is a riot. The choreography is a riot. What moves!
The special effects are hilarious. Notice how they always fly over the same small landscape everytime?
Well enjoy, and be mortified.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Bush Announces Iraq Exit Strategy
I love The Onion. It is up there with The Daily Show for intelligent humor based on current events. This article today just cracked me up. Brilliant!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Restaurant Owner
The Department of Labour contacts a restaurant owner and claims he was not paying proper wages to his help. They sent an agent out to interview him.
"I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them," demanded the agent.
"Well," replied the owner, "There's my chef who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $800 a week plus free meals.
The waitress has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 per week plus free meals.
Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own meals, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night."
That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit," says the agent.
"That would be me," replied the owner.
"I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them," demanded the agent.
"Well," replied the owner, "There's my chef who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $800 a week plus free meals.
The waitress has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 per week plus free meals.
Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own meals, and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night."
That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit," says the agent.
"That would be me," replied the owner.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Aussie SuperAnnuation Taxes
I read an article in today's paper about the how Australia's Labour Party wants to boost the Superannuation contribution from 9 percent to 15 percent. What made me upset is how they want to find this extra money. They want the workers to boots their contribution from 9% to 12%, the for the government to kick in the remaining 3%.
It blows my mind. Where do these idiots think the government gets its money from? From taxes! They treat government money as a bottomless pit of funding. So basically, they want to boost the already high taxes another 6 percent.
For those who don't know, a superannuation is a mandatory retirement account, similar to an IRA in the US, but worse. Your employer is required to contribute 9% of your pay to this account. So if you earn $50,000 a year, your employer should also pay an additional $4500 to your superannuation account. Then of course you have to pay all your income tax and other taxes.
Here is where superannuation accounts suck compared to IRA's and 401ks in the US. They tax and fee the shit out of so it doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of growing.
Contributions: The government takes 15% of your 9 percent contribution right off the top. Then the account holder helps themselves to contribution fees ranging from 1 to 2 percent. So by the time your money gets invested, a good chuck of it has already disappeared.
In the US, the accounts are not taxed. All of your contribution starts working for you. They are, instead, tax deferred.
Growth: The government takes 15% of all capital gains from your investments every year. They do not offer any tax breaks for capital losses. So basically, your investment has to carry the burden of taxes on its back. That reduces your return on investment enough to make a huge difference over your working lifetime.
In addition, the account holder also gets to help themselves to some more of your money in both annual and monthly fees that vary. Some ding a fixed percentage. Some have a fixed amount. Some are both with caps after your balance gets large. Still, you have to pay them out of your earnings. Another monkey on the back.
In the US, there are no taxes on the earnings. All of your earnings go right back to work earning more money for you. Just like with the contributions, all taxes are deferred.
Distributions: This is when you finally get to take your money out of your retirement account after a lifetime of working. Guess what? After taxing the shit out of your contributions and your earnings, they hit your one more time for another 15%. And some of the fund managers also get to charge and "exit" fee. They get to charge you money for giving you your own money. Nice?
In the US, they tax the distributions too. It can even be higher than 15%. But keep in mind that those tax dollars you are paying at distribution were working for you for all those years. When you do that math, it makes an enormous difference over the average working lifetime.
Insurance Premiums: This is Australia's dirty little secret, and one that boils my blood. Somehow the insurance industry got their fingers into the retirement investment business and convinced the government that it would be a good idea to allow people to pay their life and disability insurance premiums from their superannuation contributions.
This is a terrible idea for so many reasons. First off, some younger people are paying for life insurance they they don't need, and don't even know they have. What happens is that an insurance company will talk a company into "opt-out" insurance coverage for their employees. So unless you tell your employer not to, they will give part of your 9% contribution to an insurance company. In some cases, the premium takes 100% of their money. There is no choice, needs assessment, or anything. So rather than making their money work for their retirement, it is wasted on insurance that they don't need. A 21 year old person with no dependents doesn't need life insurance. What they need is to have every dollar working for their retirement. But it gets wasted on insurance. I suspect that the employer gets a nice kickback from the insurance salesman for this scheme since they have to work together to legally loot their employees pensions.
The most important reason this is a bad idea, even if some one needs insurance, it that it reduces the amount of money working for them. A superannuation is a bet that you will live to retirement. Life insurance is a bet that you won't.
The Problem: The reason for the discussion of boosting the contribution from 9 to 15 percent is because most Australians won't have enough money in their accounts to retire on. But, that is based on current rules.
The Wrong Solution: The knee-jerk solution proposed to this problem from the Labour party is to crank the contribution up to 15%. Can you imagine if 15% of every dollar you earned over your working lifetime was invested for retirement? That would be a huge amount of money, of properly done.
The Right Solution: Labour is so wrong about their idea. The solution is not to pour more money in, but to make the current money harder and more efficient. The most effective way to do this is to simply convert the contribution and growth taxes to deferred taxes. That small change, plus time, thanks to the magic of compounding, will grow far more than pouring 15% into the current system.
The second thing that must be done is to get the insurance companies out of people's retirement accounts. The bottom line is simple. EVERY DOLLAR SET ASIDE FOR RETIREMENT MUST WORK EXCLUSIVELY FOR LONG TERM GROWTH AND NOTHING ELSE.
If the government demands that we must wait until we are 60+ to get to our retirement money, then they can also wait to get their taxes from that money.
The Sad Part: The sad thing is that I do not even see my idea being offered as a solution by any politicians of letters to the papers. It is almost like the concept of deferring taxes is insane. But we do it in the US. They do it in the UK. Why not here?
It blows my mind. Where do these idiots think the government gets its money from? From taxes! They treat government money as a bottomless pit of funding. So basically, they want to boost the already high taxes another 6 percent.
For those who don't know, a superannuation is a mandatory retirement account, similar to an IRA in the US, but worse. Your employer is required to contribute 9% of your pay to this account. So if you earn $50,000 a year, your employer should also pay an additional $4500 to your superannuation account. Then of course you have to pay all your income tax and other taxes.
Here is where superannuation accounts suck compared to IRA's and 401ks in the US. They tax and fee the shit out of so it doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of growing.
Contributions: The government takes 15% of your 9 percent contribution right off the top. Then the account holder helps themselves to contribution fees ranging from 1 to 2 percent. So by the time your money gets invested, a good chuck of it has already disappeared.
In the US, the accounts are not taxed. All of your contribution starts working for you. They are, instead, tax deferred.
Growth: The government takes 15% of all capital gains from your investments every year. They do not offer any tax breaks for capital losses. So basically, your investment has to carry the burden of taxes on its back. That reduces your return on investment enough to make a huge difference over your working lifetime.
In addition, the account holder also gets to help themselves to some more of your money in both annual and monthly fees that vary. Some ding a fixed percentage. Some have a fixed amount. Some are both with caps after your balance gets large. Still, you have to pay them out of your earnings. Another monkey on the back.
In the US, there are no taxes on the earnings. All of your earnings go right back to work earning more money for you. Just like with the contributions, all taxes are deferred.
Distributions: This is when you finally get to take your money out of your retirement account after a lifetime of working. Guess what? After taxing the shit out of your contributions and your earnings, they hit your one more time for another 15%. And some of the fund managers also get to charge and "exit" fee. They get to charge you money for giving you your own money. Nice?
In the US, they tax the distributions too. It can even be higher than 15%. But keep in mind that those tax dollars you are paying at distribution were working for you for all those years. When you do that math, it makes an enormous difference over the average working lifetime.
Insurance Premiums: This is Australia's dirty little secret, and one that boils my blood. Somehow the insurance industry got their fingers into the retirement investment business and convinced the government that it would be a good idea to allow people to pay their life and disability insurance premiums from their superannuation contributions.
This is a terrible idea for so many reasons. First off, some younger people are paying for life insurance they they don't need, and don't even know they have. What happens is that an insurance company will talk a company into "opt-out" insurance coverage for their employees. So unless you tell your employer not to, they will give part of your 9% contribution to an insurance company. In some cases, the premium takes 100% of their money. There is no choice, needs assessment, or anything. So rather than making their money work for their retirement, it is wasted on insurance that they don't need. A 21 year old person with no dependents doesn't need life insurance. What they need is to have every dollar working for their retirement. But it gets wasted on insurance. I suspect that the employer gets a nice kickback from the insurance salesman for this scheme since they have to work together to legally loot their employees pensions.
The most important reason this is a bad idea, even if some one needs insurance, it that it reduces the amount of money working for them. A superannuation is a bet that you will live to retirement. Life insurance is a bet that you won't.
The Problem: The reason for the discussion of boosting the contribution from 9 to 15 percent is because most Australians won't have enough money in their accounts to retire on. But, that is based on current rules.
The Wrong Solution: The knee-jerk solution proposed to this problem from the Labour party is to crank the contribution up to 15%. Can you imagine if 15% of every dollar you earned over your working lifetime was invested for retirement? That would be a huge amount of money, of properly done.
The Right Solution: Labour is so wrong about their idea. The solution is not to pour more money in, but to make the current money harder and more efficient. The most effective way to do this is to simply convert the contribution and growth taxes to deferred taxes. That small change, plus time, thanks to the magic of compounding, will grow far more than pouring 15% into the current system.
The second thing that must be done is to get the insurance companies out of people's retirement accounts. The bottom line is simple. EVERY DOLLAR SET ASIDE FOR RETIREMENT MUST WORK EXCLUSIVELY FOR LONG TERM GROWTH AND NOTHING ELSE.
If the government demands that we must wait until we are 60+ to get to our retirement money, then they can also wait to get their taxes from that money.
The Sad Part: The sad thing is that I do not even see my idea being offered as a solution by any politicians of letters to the papers. It is almost like the concept of deferring taxes is insane. But we do it in the US. They do it in the UK. Why not here?
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Amnesty International - how far they have sunk
But nooooo... They have decided to elevate David Hicks to sainthood status. They have a "Bring David Home" campaign. I see them on the corner with nice childhood pictures of David looking harmless wearing a sweater screaming that Australia owes it to him as an Aussie to come home. Why don't they use this photo of him with an RPG launcher and his fellow terrorist?
Now Hicks is just a looser with a gun fetish who converted to radical Islam and then left Australia to join Islamic militants in battles through out Asia. He is reported to have fought for Islamic militants in Kashmir and Afghanistan. He is no saint. He is a violet thug who wanted a license to kill and found one in violet jihad. God knows how many people he as killed.
He did not commit these crimes in Australia. So why do so many people think that he deserves Australian justice? He Australian passport does not guarantee that. If you don't want to risk getting caught up in some seriously bad shit, then don't go around shooting people in other countries.
And now he is sitting in a jail cell getting feed 3 square meals a day thanks to the US tax payers. The bottom line is that he was a combatant in a war who has been caught. The war is still going on. He deserves nothing. He is getting far more now from the US that any other government would give him in the places where he ran around killing people.
Yet Amnesty International makes him their poster child. Aren't there people out there being persecuted that are far more deserving of our attention?
West Bank Bozos
NPR Radio had this story on their "All Things Considered" podcast about the latest group of people are moving into new houses in the Israel occupied West Bank. It just pissed me off to no end.
The article, which you can read, talks about the ultra-orthodox Jewish families that are moving in mass into the area because it offers inexpensive housing. I don't have any issue with their faith. I don't have any issue with people deciding where they want to live.
What pisses me off are two things. First, these people move there and then expect the Israeli taxpayers to protect the and provide them with services. Second, the fact that the government lets them get away with it.
It is with morbid fascination the I read that these men who head these household neither work, or serve in the military. The consider the tasks to be distractions from their most important duty, which it is to sit around and study the Torah.
Again, that is fine. If that is what you want to do with you life, then find a way to do it. But to expect others to pay for your food, educate your children, provide you with food, water, electricity, medical care, and everything else is too much. Get a religious scholarship or sponsorship. But to consider that you are too important to work for a living, pay taxes, or even serve in the military to help protect your country.
The article mentions that they move there for economic reasons. But what I can't figure out for the life of me is how they get away with it. Does that mean I can just walk into the Angeles National Forest behind Pasadena and build myself a house? And then demand government services and protection. And then to add insult to injury, refuse to contribute money or labor to society. Please!
If I were in the IDF, I'd be pissed off to no end that I have to put my ass on the line to protect these bozos from outraged locals. I'd be pissed off that my government didn't have the balls to stop these bozos when they started pouring the foundations to the house.
If I were an Israeli citizen I'd be pissed off that my taxes are going to subsidies the lifestyle of these religious slackers. If they want to go live in the bad lands, then go ahead. But don't go crying to me when things go tits-up in your neighborhood. That is the risk you took when you decided to build where you were not supposed to.
I also don't get how these people get title to these properties? Who gives them the money? Do they get mortgages? Who is dumb enough to issue a mortgage on a piece of land that has such a convoluted title?
These guys remind me of the people that buy houses cheap and the end of an airport runway. Then they complain to no end about the noise and demand the airport close. Well No shit Sherlock... the fact that the house was under the flight path is why it was so cheap.
And for these guys.... the reason the house was so cheap is because you built it on land you don't own, in an area that does not fall under the jurisdiction of government protection, and the locals want to kill you. Perhaps you failed to look around when you moved in? The guys shooting at you should have been a clue that all was not good there.
As a US citizen, I wish our government would demand that the Israeli government put an end to this nonsense. Either take the damn land or don't. This half-ass acre-by-acre sneaky theft is just making them, and us, look dishonest.
The article, which you can read, talks about the ultra-orthodox Jewish families that are moving in mass into the area because it offers inexpensive housing. I don't have any issue with their faith. I don't have any issue with people deciding where they want to live.
What pisses me off are two things. First, these people move there and then expect the Israeli taxpayers to protect the and provide them with services. Second, the fact that the government lets them get away with it.
It is with morbid fascination the I read that these men who head these household neither work, or serve in the military. The consider the tasks to be distractions from their most important duty, which it is to sit around and study the Torah.
Again, that is fine. If that is what you want to do with you life, then find a way to do it. But to expect others to pay for your food, educate your children, provide you with food, water, electricity, medical care, and everything else is too much. Get a religious scholarship or sponsorship. But to consider that you are too important to work for a living, pay taxes, or even serve in the military to help protect your country.
The article mentions that they move there for economic reasons. But what I can't figure out for the life of me is how they get away with it. Does that mean I can just walk into the Angeles National Forest behind Pasadena and build myself a house? And then demand government services and protection. And then to add insult to injury, refuse to contribute money or labor to society. Please!
If I were in the IDF, I'd be pissed off to no end that I have to put my ass on the line to protect these bozos from outraged locals. I'd be pissed off that my government didn't have the balls to stop these bozos when they started pouring the foundations to the house.
If I were an Israeli citizen I'd be pissed off that my taxes are going to subsidies the lifestyle of these religious slackers. If they want to go live in the bad lands, then go ahead. But don't go crying to me when things go tits-up in your neighborhood. That is the risk you took when you decided to build where you were not supposed to.
I also don't get how these people get title to these properties? Who gives them the money? Do they get mortgages? Who is dumb enough to issue a mortgage on a piece of land that has such a convoluted title?
These guys remind me of the people that buy houses cheap and the end of an airport runway. Then they complain to no end about the noise and demand the airport close. Well No shit Sherlock... the fact that the house was under the flight path is why it was so cheap.
And for these guys.... the reason the house was so cheap is because you built it on land you don't own, in an area that does not fall under the jurisdiction of government protection, and the locals want to kill you. Perhaps you failed to look around when you moved in? The guys shooting at you should have been a clue that all was not good there.
As a US citizen, I wish our government would demand that the Israeli government put an end to this nonsense. Either take the damn land or don't. This half-ass acre-by-acre sneaky theft is just making them, and us, look dishonest.
Monday, March 05, 2007
More on Mrs. Friedlander
Elva sent me an email with a link to Mrs. Friendlander's obituary in the San Diego Union-Tribune. From Elva...
First, I've always misspelled her last name. That is strange because I distinctly remember being taught by her how to spell it when I went to school. Even though we were foster children, we were told to use their last name as ours. I remember being told to spell it "Free...", as in "Freed Men". I can't figure out why I would so clearly remember being taught by her to spell it that way since it is now clear to me that was wrong.
Perhaps she told me NOT to spell it "Free..." and got it all backwards. Wouldn't be the first time in life. Dyslexia strikes again!
I see Susie is now called Susan. We used to call her Susie. Perhaps that was her nickname and I just never knew better.
I noticed that her service was held at a Lutheran church. I didn't know she was Lutheran. Perhaps her's is a more fundamental version of Lutheranism than I experienced going to Grace Lutheran in Santa Barbara with the Larsons. I sure remember the hellfire and brimstone at the Friedlander's church. When I got older and reflected on that that church, I had guessed it was Pentecostal, Evangelical, or Baptist. I knew they weren't Jehovah Witnesses because they celebrated birthdays and Christmas... but I knew they weren't too far from that sect.
I always thought she was from Tennessee because that is where her sister was from. It also meshed with my theory that she was from a strick Pentecostal upbringing. Guess I was wrong.
Funny the obit mentions her blue eyes. I remember them well.
Elva. I'm sorry to have to tell you that neither Janice or I feel sad. We feel nothing. As I said in my previous post, I'm glad that she can't screw up any more kids. I will concur that she did care for us. She did the best she could considering how her much own fears and religious convictions dictated her life.
It strikes me as hypocritical that she was not above lying to the authorities about you, claiming you would show up drunk to visit your kids, when in fact you never drink. Perhaps in her mind she felt that she was protecting us from you. Perhaps she felt you were not good enough, or righteous enough. Who knows? But being a hypocrite is what she was about.
I hope Corrinne will make peace with herself and remove the shackles of shame, guilt, and fear that so defined her.
So all is well that ends well, eh? I for one wouldn't change a thing if it meant that I would not have ended up being adopted by Roger and Toni Larson. Sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven.
I sent you the obit for Mrs. Friedlander a while ago. So sorry that I didn't have a chance to include words or anything else. I had just a few minutes and I wanted to send it to you asap.I didn't know if you two even remembered her. Since you do, then I know that you two must feel sad. She was a good person and she cared very much for you two.Here is the obit:
FRIEDLANDER, CORINNE FRANCES 1931 to 2007 Corinne died peacefully in her sleep on January 4th after a courageous four year battle with Lou Gehrigs Disease. She was born in Ray, North Dakota on December 22, 1931, shortly later moved with her family to Kalispell, Montana, and in 1941 moved to San Diego where she spent many years; graduated from Hoover High School in 1950, married, raised her family and was foster mother to many children. She married her loving husband Kenneth in 1953 and spent 51 years together until he went to Heaven in October of 2004. She is survived by her two daughters Sally and Susan, her sons- in-law, Craig and Craig, Foster daughter and son, Kristina and Nicholas, his wife Laurel, grandchildren, Duane, his wife Erika, Devin, Darin, Teresa, Dilan and Chloe, great-grandchildren, Yazmine and Kenneth, her sister Jeanne, nieces and nephews and many friends in San Diego and New Mexico. She had a wonderful excitement for life and was filled with great love and devotion to her family and friends. She had sparkling blue eyes and unbelievable courageous and dignity. Our dear Mom, Granny and friend will be missed so very much. A celebration of her Life will be held today, February 8th, at 2:00 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 867 S. Lincoln Avenue, El Cajon, Ca 92020. In lieu of Flowers family requests contributions in Memory of Corinne to the ALS Association, www.alsa.org.I learned a few things today.
First, I've always misspelled her last name. That is strange because I distinctly remember being taught by her how to spell it when I went to school. Even though we were foster children, we were told to use their last name as ours. I remember being told to spell it "Free...", as in "Freed Men". I can't figure out why I would so clearly remember being taught by her to spell it that way since it is now clear to me that was wrong.
Perhaps she told me NOT to spell it "Free..." and got it all backwards. Wouldn't be the first time in life. Dyslexia strikes again!
I see Susie is now called Susan. We used to call her Susie. Perhaps that was her nickname and I just never knew better.
I noticed that her service was held at a Lutheran church. I didn't know she was Lutheran. Perhaps her's is a more fundamental version of Lutheranism than I experienced going to Grace Lutheran in Santa Barbara with the Larsons. I sure remember the hellfire and brimstone at the Friedlander's church. When I got older and reflected on that that church, I had guessed it was Pentecostal, Evangelical, or Baptist. I knew they weren't Jehovah Witnesses because they celebrated birthdays and Christmas... but I knew they weren't too far from that sect.
I always thought she was from Tennessee because that is where her sister was from. It also meshed with my theory that she was from a strick Pentecostal upbringing. Guess I was wrong.
Funny the obit mentions her blue eyes. I remember them well.
Elva. I'm sorry to have to tell you that neither Janice or I feel sad. We feel nothing. As I said in my previous post, I'm glad that she can't screw up any more kids. I will concur that she did care for us. She did the best she could considering how her much own fears and religious convictions dictated her life.
It strikes me as hypocritical that she was not above lying to the authorities about you, claiming you would show up drunk to visit your kids, when in fact you never drink. Perhaps in her mind she felt that she was protecting us from you. Perhaps she felt you were not good enough, or righteous enough. Who knows? But being a hypocrite is what she was about.
I hope Corrinne will make peace with herself and remove the shackles of shame, guilt, and fear that so defined her.
So all is well that ends well, eh? I for one wouldn't change a thing if it meant that I would not have ended up being adopted by Roger and Toni Larson. Sometimes you have to go through hell to get to heaven.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Corrine Freedlander
Hmmmm...
My bio-mom Elva sent me an email last week letting me know she saw in the San Diego newspaper that Corrine Friedlander died a couple of weeks ago. Interesting. I was thinking about this last night and wondering if I should say anything.
Mrs. Frielander was my last foster-mother before I got adopted. I don't have fond memories of her. She had, in my opinion, lots of "issues".
Corrine and her husband fostered a lot of children that ended up in the custody of San Diego County, like my sister and I were. They did provide a roof over our heads, and meals. We went to school. They even threw birthday parties for us. That was nice. But I can never forgive her for some of the things she did, especially to my sister.
Thanks to her I have a healthy dislike or organized religion. And I am extremely skeptical and wary of those who claim to be religious and pious. Too many people use that as a cover to mask deep sins and weaknesses. To the authorities, she seemed perfect. A god fearing Christian woman who wanted to take care of little children. Too bad they didn't know what she was really like.
Her and her husband had two children of their own. Two girls, Sally and Susie, who were teenagers when I lived at their house. There is one thing I remember most the morning the CPS van pulled up to take me out of there. As I said my goodbyes I remember feeling sorry for Sally and Susie. I knew I was getting out of there, and they were stuck with her for life. I often wonder how they turned out. Poor girls. I remember some of the hell they went through with her.
Corinne's specialty was shame, sex, sin, hellfire, and punishment. Even as a kid I used to be amazed that her husband was so whipped that he would not stand up to her and some of things she would do. To be honest, she had so many issues with human sexuality that I don't understand how she even managed to get pregnant twice.
I believe that we all end up in a hell or heaven of our own making. If you believe in a hell, then that is where you will go, until get you tired of it and let it go. So for Corrine, I can't help but wonder what kind of hell you built for yourself. Perhaps you will judge yourself for the lies and sick tortures you devised. Perhaps that is why you claimed to be so religious? So you could live with yourself?
I know that no one is perfect. I know that you were a deeply flawed person. I think you were a product of a seriously dysfunctional upbringing back in the hills of Tennessee. Your parents obviously stuffed you full of guilt and shame and convinced you that you were a sinner. They convinced you that Satan was real, that he was in your head, and that you were going to burn in hell for the thoughts that you allowed him to put in there.
Perhaps I am being to hard on you. Even though I can't forgive you for what you did to Janice. I am grateful that we were spared a worse fate. Considering the options, things would have probably been worse. There was a reason were were there. I don't forget that. At least you didn't break our bones, put your cigarettes out on our flesh, drug us, or let others sexually abuse us.
I remember so many of the other kids that came through your house when I lived there. They were always so scared when they arrived. I would have to care of them and make them feel safe. I would take their hands and tell them that they were going to be ok. The first night back in the bunks they always cried. We would lay in our bunks n the dark and they would tell me about the tortures that got them there. Pretty strange stuff for a six-year old kid to listen to, eh?
Well.... part of me is grateful for taking me in during my time of need. And part of me is glad to know that you can no longer screw up another kid's head with your twisted crap.
My bio-mom Elva sent me an email last week letting me know she saw in the San Diego newspaper that Corrine Friedlander died a couple of weeks ago. Interesting. I was thinking about this last night and wondering if I should say anything.
Mrs. Frielander was my last foster-mother before I got adopted. I don't have fond memories of her. She had, in my opinion, lots of "issues".
Corrine and her husband fostered a lot of children that ended up in the custody of San Diego County, like my sister and I were. They did provide a roof over our heads, and meals. We went to school. They even threw birthday parties for us. That was nice. But I can never forgive her for some of the things she did, especially to my sister.
Thanks to her I have a healthy dislike or organized religion. And I am extremely skeptical and wary of those who claim to be religious and pious. Too many people use that as a cover to mask deep sins and weaknesses. To the authorities, she seemed perfect. A god fearing Christian woman who wanted to take care of little children. Too bad they didn't know what she was really like.
Her and her husband had two children of their own. Two girls, Sally and Susie, who were teenagers when I lived at their house. There is one thing I remember most the morning the CPS van pulled up to take me out of there. As I said my goodbyes I remember feeling sorry for Sally and Susie. I knew I was getting out of there, and they were stuck with her for life. I often wonder how they turned out. Poor girls. I remember some of the hell they went through with her.
Corinne's specialty was shame, sex, sin, hellfire, and punishment. Even as a kid I used to be amazed that her husband was so whipped that he would not stand up to her and some of things she would do. To be honest, she had so many issues with human sexuality that I don't understand how she even managed to get pregnant twice.
I believe that we all end up in a hell or heaven of our own making. If you believe in a hell, then that is where you will go, until get you tired of it and let it go. So for Corrine, I can't help but wonder what kind of hell you built for yourself. Perhaps you will judge yourself for the lies and sick tortures you devised. Perhaps that is why you claimed to be so religious? So you could live with yourself?
I know that no one is perfect. I know that you were a deeply flawed person. I think you were a product of a seriously dysfunctional upbringing back in the hills of Tennessee. Your parents obviously stuffed you full of guilt and shame and convinced you that you were a sinner. They convinced you that Satan was real, that he was in your head, and that you were going to burn in hell for the thoughts that you allowed him to put in there.
Perhaps I am being to hard on you. Even though I can't forgive you for what you did to Janice. I am grateful that we were spared a worse fate. Considering the options, things would have probably been worse. There was a reason were were there. I don't forget that. At least you didn't break our bones, put your cigarettes out on our flesh, drug us, or let others sexually abuse us.
I remember so many of the other kids that came through your house when I lived there. They were always so scared when they arrived. I would have to care of them and make them feel safe. I would take their hands and tell them that they were going to be ok. The first night back in the bunks they always cried. We would lay in our bunks n the dark and they would tell me about the tortures that got them there. Pretty strange stuff for a six-year old kid to listen to, eh?
Well.... part of me is grateful for taking me in during my time of need. And part of me is glad to know that you can no longer screw up another kid's head with your twisted crap.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
They are all sheep here!
Here in Perth the public transportation system is in the process of converting to a new ticketing system. The old system used credit-card size paper ticket that you could buy from a merchant which gave you 10, 20, or 40 rides, depending on which one you bought. Then when you boarded a bus or train, you stick the paper ticket into the ticket machine and it would stamp it with the date and time, thus voiding one of your rides.
Now they are switching to a "smarter" system. This new system uses plastic cards with RFID chips embedded. Rather than buy paper tickets, you simple charge up your card with credit, like a calling card. You can do this through their website, or at a train station. When you board and exit a train or bus, you simply swipe your "smart" card over the scanner to debit it for your ride.
I'm not even going to go into the problems with this new system! That is for another post and has nothing to do with one. Sufficient to say, there is a new electronic ticketing system being implemented here.
Last week they announced that they are going to be switching to the new system and that people who use the trains or buses need to get the new smart card by Monday. No problem. Loretta use the train. She was confused about the new system and asked me to go with her to get a smart card and show her how to use it.
So at lunch we walked over the public transport office where they sell tickets. There was a long queue of people waiting to get their new cards. They were all holding applications that they had filled out. Loretta obligingly grabbed a blank application form and starting to fill out it while standing in line.
It took the form out of her hands and looked at it. I was shocked. It demanded to know your full name, home address, phone numbers, emails addresses, mother's maiden name, date of birth, driver's license number, bank details, etc.
The clincher was on the bottom. It was an oath and a signature line stating the "I understand and will comply with all aspects of the so-and-so transport act".
"This is total bullshit!" I told her. "Do not give them this information."
Loretta protested that they must require it. That got my blood boiling. "The do not need to know this information in order to allow you to ride a train!", I said as loud as I could. All the others in the queue starting looking at me. Loretta squirmed uncomfortably.
"Fill in your name as Micky Mouse.", I told her. "And enter a fake address and details. Are they going to cross check it?" Again, I said this as loud as I could, getting more stares from the queue.
Loretta, now clearly embarrassed by my outbursts, protested. "I have to fill it out.", she explained. "I think it is the law."
"Bullshit again!", I answered. "This is a LEGAL document they want you to sign. Why are you just going to give them all your personal information, and sign a legal document, without having a lawyer look it over? You work at a law firm. You should know better than to go around signing anything you do not understand."
I could tell that the people in the queue were getting interested. They starting looking carefully at the forms in their hands. The clerk behind the counter overheard me and gave me a dirty look.
After arguing back and forth while standing in line, Loretta ran out of time and had to get back to work. She grudgingly relented to my insistence that she not give them her information. So she gave me enough cash to buy her tickets and I continued to wait in line. I stood there and watched idiot after idiot hand the clerk their form without any protest.
When my turn came I stepped up and told the clerk "I have some questions about this new ticketing system." I handed her a blank application and pointed to it.
"Tell me.", I asked loudly. "Is this form required in order to purchase a ticket to ride a train?"
She glared at me. "No. It is not", she admitted.
"So then... what is this for?" I asked her. "What are you going to do with all this information?"
"It goes into the computer.", she told me.
"And then what?", I asked. Are you going to sell it to marketers. Are you going to have telemarketers call me on the phone numbers you are asking for?
"No.", she explained. "We are not allowed to do that. Trust me on that!"
"Trust you? You are just a clerk selling tickets. What if TransPerth changes their mind? What if someone steals all this data? How are you going to assure me that this data is safe? Will you share this information with the police?"
She glared at me. "I don't know."
"And another thing", I asked. "What is this on the bottom here where you want a signature. Isn't this form a legal document?"
"Yes.", she answered. "It is".
"And you just except people to sign it?"
"Yes. It is perfectly safe to sign."
"Are you a lawyer?", I asked her. "Do you know exactly what you are signing up for?"
"I think so", she said. "They wouldn't put it on if it was bad."
Riiiiiiight.
"So if I don't HAVE to give you this, then what is the benefit to me of giving you all this personal information then?", I asked her.
"Well...", she stumbled around. "It lets you cancel your smart card if you loose it. You can call us up and we will cancel it for you."
"So...", I finished while turning around to face the long line of people queued behind me. "We do not need to give you anything except money to buy a ticket. Right? And if we pay cash, and the card is lost, the worse case is that we might loose the remaining rides on the ticket. And I can charge up my ticket with cash at a vending machine if it runs low."
"So, wouldn't that seem a lot safer and faster for simply to pay cash rather than giving you information that might be abused and signing away legal rights? In that case, I'll buy one card with cash please."
When I left, the people standing in line just looked at me with dumb glazed look in their eyes. They continued to hand the clerk their little pieces of paper with they keys to their life on them without a second thought. What a bunch of pathetic sheep I thought to myself. They simply trust their government way too much in Australia.
Now they are switching to a "smarter" system. This new system uses plastic cards with RFID chips embedded. Rather than buy paper tickets, you simple charge up your card with credit, like a calling card. You can do this through their website, or at a train station. When you board and exit a train or bus, you simply swipe your "smart" card over the scanner to debit it for your ride.
I'm not even going to go into the problems with this new system! That is for another post and has nothing to do with one. Sufficient to say, there is a new electronic ticketing system being implemented here.
Last week they announced that they are going to be switching to the new system and that people who use the trains or buses need to get the new smart card by Monday. No problem. Loretta use the train. She was confused about the new system and asked me to go with her to get a smart card and show her how to use it.
So at lunch we walked over the public transport office where they sell tickets. There was a long queue of people waiting to get their new cards. They were all holding applications that they had filled out. Loretta obligingly grabbed a blank application form and starting to fill out it while standing in line.
It took the form out of her hands and looked at it. I was shocked. It demanded to know your full name, home address, phone numbers, emails addresses, mother's maiden name, date of birth, driver's license number, bank details, etc.
The clincher was on the bottom. It was an oath and a signature line stating the "I understand and will comply with all aspects of the so-and-so transport act".
"This is total bullshit!" I told her. "Do not give them this information."
Loretta protested that they must require it. That got my blood boiling. "The do not need to know this information in order to allow you to ride a train!", I said as loud as I could. All the others in the queue starting looking at me. Loretta squirmed uncomfortably.
"Fill in your name as Micky Mouse.", I told her. "And enter a fake address and details. Are they going to cross check it?" Again, I said this as loud as I could, getting more stares from the queue.
Loretta, now clearly embarrassed by my outbursts, protested. "I have to fill it out.", she explained. "I think it is the law."
"Bullshit again!", I answered. "This is a LEGAL document they want you to sign. Why are you just going to give them all your personal information, and sign a legal document, without having a lawyer look it over? You work at a law firm. You should know better than to go around signing anything you do not understand."
I could tell that the people in the queue were getting interested. They starting looking carefully at the forms in their hands. The clerk behind the counter overheard me and gave me a dirty look.
After arguing back and forth while standing in line, Loretta ran out of time and had to get back to work. She grudgingly relented to my insistence that she not give them her information. So she gave me enough cash to buy her tickets and I continued to wait in line. I stood there and watched idiot after idiot hand the clerk their form without any protest.
When my turn came I stepped up and told the clerk "I have some questions about this new ticketing system." I handed her a blank application and pointed to it.
"Tell me.", I asked loudly. "Is this form required in order to purchase a ticket to ride a train?"
She glared at me. "No. It is not", she admitted.
"So then... what is this for?" I asked her. "What are you going to do with all this information?"
"It goes into the computer.", she told me.
"And then what?", I asked. Are you going to sell it to marketers. Are you going to have telemarketers call me on the phone numbers you are asking for?
"No.", she explained. "We are not allowed to do that. Trust me on that!"
"Trust you? You are just a clerk selling tickets. What if TransPerth changes their mind? What if someone steals all this data? How are you going to assure me that this data is safe? Will you share this information with the police?"
She glared at me. "I don't know."
"And another thing", I asked. "What is this on the bottom here where you want a signature. Isn't this form a legal document?"
"Yes.", she answered. "It is".
"And you just except people to sign it?"
"Yes. It is perfectly safe to sign."
"Are you a lawyer?", I asked her. "Do you know exactly what you are signing up for?"
"I think so", she said. "They wouldn't put it on if it was bad."
Riiiiiiight.
"So if I don't HAVE to give you this, then what is the benefit to me of giving you all this personal information then?", I asked her.
"Well...", she stumbled around. "It lets you cancel your smart card if you loose it. You can call us up and we will cancel it for you."
"So...", I finished while turning around to face the long line of people queued behind me. "We do not need to give you anything except money to buy a ticket. Right? And if we pay cash, and the card is lost, the worse case is that we might loose the remaining rides on the ticket. And I can charge up my ticket with cash at a vending machine if it runs low."
"So, wouldn't that seem a lot safer and faster for simply to pay cash rather than giving you information that might be abused and signing away legal rights? In that case, I'll buy one card with cash please."
When I left, the people standing in line just looked at me with dumb glazed look in their eyes. They continued to hand the clerk their little pieces of paper with they keys to their life on them without a second thought. What a bunch of pathetic sheep I thought to myself. They simply trust their government way too much in Australia.
Barack Obama for prez? No way
I, for one, would not vote for him simply because I do not agree with his policies on too many important subjects. I base my decision on what Obama himself has said on his podcast. His policies are simple bad for business and bad, in the long run, for the US.
It also bothers me greatly that he has allowed the presidential race to interfere with his current job, which is being a senator from Illinois. I am not from that state. But if I were, I would be ticked that Obama was running around playing presidential footsies rather than doing what he was elected to do... represent Illinois in the US Senate.
He has not even finished his first term as a senator! Most senators have long careers in the house. Not Obama. He is already off grabbing for the brass ring before the paint on his senate office sign is dry.
Now, I would also like to go on the record as saying that I find myself highly respecting Obama for his clarity on issues. It is such refreshing change from the flip-flopping and ambiguous positions that other candidates take. I subscribed to his podcast to learn more about him. I highly recommend that you do the same. I am glad I did. Because it certainly lets you make a more informed decision.
I really wish he would stick it out in the Senate. That half the of the legislative branch of the government needs people like him to balance clueless senior senators like Ted "Its A Bunch Of Tubes" Stevens (Alaska) and Liz Dole (North Carolina).
It is a shame that so many on the left are pushing Obama to run. On paper, Hillary Clinton is much more qualified. She has more experience, and has more centrist policies than Obama. But she is very divisive. You either love her, or loath her. So much so that she will never get elected.
I feel like the Democrats know that Hillary can't win. So they want to throw out an untested candidate who they can create a buzz about. It is working. Obama's backers are treating him like the second coming of Christ.
So there is my prediction. If the Democrats select either Clinton or Obama, then they are only going to guarantee a Republican victory.
Overheard at the game store
I was scanning through a bargain bin of Xbox games. A boy of about 10 was standing next to me also flipping through the boxes. He pulled up a copy of "Grand Theft Auto - San Andres" and excitingly showed it to his mother who was standing behind him.
"Can I get this one?" he asked her hopefully.
His mother took the game and studied the cover. She noticed the warning label, "MA15+Animated Violence, Medium Level Coarse Language".
"No you may not", she answered. "See here...", she said while pointing to the warning label. "It says language and violence."
Stumped for a minute, the boy pondered her refusal, then came up with a solution...
"I'll play it without sound then! I promise!".
Mom wasn't sold on that little idea. Clever kid though! I had to laugh.
Friday, February 16, 2007
NASA Astronaut Screening Test
Friday, February 02, 2007
Annual Neologism Content
My bud Dave sent to this me today. I love it. I think I found myself a new religion!
ANNUAL NEOLOGISM CONTEST
Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.
The winners are:The Washington Post's Style Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. Here are this year's winners:
- Coffee (n.): the person upon whom one coughs.
- Flabbergasted (adj.) :appalled over how much weight you have gained.
- Abdicate (v.): to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.
- Esplanade (v.): to attempt an explanation while drunk.
- Willy-nilly (adj.): impotent.
- Negligent (adj.): describes a cndition in which you absent-mindedly answer the door in your nightgown.
- Lymph (v.): to walk with a lisp.
- Gargoyle (n.): olive-flavoured mouthwash.
- Flatulence (n.): emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.
- Balderdash (n.): a rapidly receding hairline.
- Testicle (n.): a humorous question on an exam.
- Rectitude (n.): the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.
- Pokemon (n.): a Rastafarian proctologist.
- Oyster (n.): a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.
- Frisbeetarianism (n.): (back by popular demand). The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.
- Circumvent (n.): an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.
And the pick of the literature:
- Bozone (n.) :The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
- Cashtration (n.) :The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
- Giraffiti (n.): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
- Sarchasm (n.): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
- Inoculatte (v.): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
- Hipatitis (n.): Terminal coolness.
- Osteopornosis (n.): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
- Karmageddon (n.): It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
- Decafalon (n.): The gruelling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
- Glibido (v.): All talk and no action.
- Dopeler Effect (n.): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
- Arachnoleptic Fit (n.) :The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
- Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
- Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
- Ignoranus (n.): A person who's both stupid and an a**hole.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Don't be un-Australian
You gotta watch this brilliant rant by Sam Kekovich for Australia Day.
Sam is a retired Aussie Rules football player who is a pitchman for the Australian lamb industry. This ad is brilliant! I can't help but want to go out and buy a rack of lamb and BBQ it on January 26, Australia Day. The Vote Lamb web site they made to go with this TV ad is great too.
I was rolling on the floor laughing by the time he started ripping into Ian Thorpe for living in Los Angeles. He rips into immigration testing, terrorism, bling, tree-huggers, everything. I love it.
This is not the first time he has done this. He has done similar rants, all equally as funny, in 2005 and 2006. Click on the links to watch them.
Sam is a retired Aussie Rules football player who is a pitchman for the Australian lamb industry. This ad is brilliant! I can't help but want to go out and buy a rack of lamb and BBQ it on January 26, Australia Day. The Vote Lamb web site they made to go with this TV ad is great too.
I was rolling on the floor laughing by the time he started ripping into Ian Thorpe for living in Los Angeles. He rips into immigration testing, terrorism, bling, tree-huggers, everything. I love it.
This is not the first time he has done this. He has done similar rants, all equally as funny, in 2005 and 2006. Click on the links to watch them.
Stupid Aussie TV media news
Arrrgh! I can't believe some of the crap the editors of the Aussie TV news allow to get on the screen. I normally don't watch TV news because it is so self serving and bad. But it was on the background last week when they were covering a story about a guy who was arrested for selling stolen army rocket launchers to some local wanna-be Islamic terrorist.
What happened was that Taha Abdul Rahma of Sydney, who is unemployed, brokered the sale of a dozen rocket launchers that had been stolen from the Australian Army. He sold them to an Islamic terrorist cell that was busted in 2005 planning a series of huge attacks in Australia.
Last week he was arrested. He was denied bail. So what story gets reported in the TV news? His wife gets on TV and starts bawling about how it is unfair that he doesn't get to go home. She claims that their children are crying and upset because daddy isn't there to tuck them in at night.
I was stunned. What about all the children who would have lost one or both parents if the terrorist had not been caught? Did it cross this idiot's mind that perhaps dealing in stolen military grade weapons might involve some risk, such as being being thrown in prison? Did it occur to him that these weapons in the hands of his terrorist buddies in Melbourne might be used to actually kill a lot of people? What did he think they wanted them for? Props?
And this guy sold them for a lot of money.... like $60k each. So one has to ask where did these buyers get that much cash. What was he planning to do with all that money? While the hardworking tax payers of Australia were supporting him and his family with generous welfare checks. He spends his time dealing in stolen military weapons to be sold to Islamic nutters for a huge profit. Wow! Why work a real job?
I can't believe that the news allowed their bleeding-heart commie reporter to focus on how the children of this criminal were upset that daddy might not be coming home. Perhaps they should focus on the children of the brave servicemen who have died and who risk their lives fighting Islamic terrorist and fanatics from blowing up skyscrapers and nuclear plants.
I'm and so sick and saddened by the news reporters here. Perhaps his wife and children should go visit the surviving members of the victims of terrorism and find out what their daddy really did when he was not home reading them bedtime stories. Yup, daddy was getting rich by given terrorists weapons to kill innocent people, and children, in the name of Islam. What a great guy! Why don't you nominate him for father and citizen of the year while you are at it?
What happened was that Taha Abdul Rahma of Sydney, who is unemployed, brokered the sale of a dozen rocket launchers that had been stolen from the Australian Army. He sold them to an Islamic terrorist cell that was busted in 2005 planning a series of huge attacks in Australia.
Last week he was arrested. He was denied bail. So what story gets reported in the TV news? His wife gets on TV and starts bawling about how it is unfair that he doesn't get to go home. She claims that their children are crying and upset because daddy isn't there to tuck them in at night.
I was stunned. What about all the children who would have lost one or both parents if the terrorist had not been caught? Did it cross this idiot's mind that perhaps dealing in stolen military grade weapons might involve some risk, such as being being thrown in prison? Did it occur to him that these weapons in the hands of his terrorist buddies in Melbourne might be used to actually kill a lot of people? What did he think they wanted them for? Props?
And this guy sold them for a lot of money.... like $60k each. So one has to ask where did these buyers get that much cash. What was he planning to do with all that money? While the hardworking tax payers of Australia were supporting him and his family with generous welfare checks. He spends his time dealing in stolen military weapons to be sold to Islamic nutters for a huge profit. Wow! Why work a real job?
I can't believe that the news allowed their bleeding-heart commie reporter to focus on how the children of this criminal were upset that daddy might not be coming home. Perhaps they should focus on the children of the brave servicemen who have died and who risk their lives fighting Islamic terrorist and fanatics from blowing up skyscrapers and nuclear plants.
I'm and so sick and saddened by the news reporters here. Perhaps his wife and children should go visit the surviving members of the victims of terrorism and find out what their daddy really did when he was not home reading them bedtime stories. Yup, daddy was getting rich by given terrorists weapons to kill innocent people, and children, in the name of Islam. What a great guy! Why don't you nominate him for father and citizen of the year while you are at it?
Velux 5 Oceans Solo Challenge
Yesterday I went down to Fremantle harbor to watch the start of the second leg of the 2007 Velux 5 Oceans Solo Challenge. This is a round-the-world race starting and ending in Spain featuring solo sailors. There is only two stops on the race, Fremantle Australia and Norfolk, Virgina. The sailed non-stop from Spain to Australia. And yesterday they left for a non-stop sail across the Pacific, around Cape Horn, and up the Atlantic Ocean to Virgina.
The boats were amazing. They are very large for a single person boat. The living space is actually small, with most of the space being used to hold sails. We were not allowed on board the boats. But each racer was introduced, gave a little speech, and then left the dock for the starting line offshore.
One of the racers is from Japan. He was pretty cool. His English is poor, and he needed a translator. But he had the largest fan base there. There was a large number of supporters waving Japanese flags as he left. They said that he has become a celebrity and a bit of a hero in Japan for doing this race. Here is his profile on the race site.
The best way to see the boats and understand what these guys are doing is to go their website here. Looks like a lot of fun! Wish I was going!
The boats were amazing. They are very large for a single person boat. The living space is actually small, with most of the space being used to hold sails. We were not allowed on board the boats. But each racer was introduced, gave a little speech, and then left the dock for the starting line offshore.
One of the racers is from Japan. He was pretty cool. His English is poor, and he needed a translator. But he had the largest fan base there. There was a large number of supporters waving Japanese flags as he left. They said that he has become a celebrity and a bit of a hero in Japan for doing this race. Here is his profile on the race site.
The best way to see the boats and understand what these guys are doing is to go their website here. Looks like a lot of fun! Wish I was going!
Western Australia CUBs
At a wedding I attended this weekend I met a Qantas flight attendant who works the flights out of Perth that service the small airfields in the vast Western Australia outback and Kimberly areas north of here. Most of the passengers are men who work in the mineral, gas, and oil fields.
These guys make a lot of money. They fly to work and work on site for 3 to 4 weeks. They are usually out in the middle of nowhere. So when they come back to Perth for their 1 to 2 weeks off, they have a few thousand dollars in the pocket. Most are young, in their 20's or 30's, and raking in over $100k AUD a year. All of their expenses (food and lodging) are covered by their employer at the work site. So there is literally nothing to spend money on while they are working.
The flight attendant is single, in her early 30's. I was joking with here about how she must find it dealing with airplanes full of single men who are earning a lot of money. She looked at me horrified. She called them "CUB's", which is a slang acronym for "Cashed Up Bogans". A bogan is Aussie slang for someone who unsophisticated and lower class. She said that most of them spend their free time and money on their utes (Aussie pickup trucks) and getting drunk with their mates.
She was telling me about how they all dress in flannel shirts, boots, and dirty jeans, and scraggly beards. She said that they look like they are with the band ZZ Top.
These guys make a lot of money. They fly to work and work on site for 3 to 4 weeks. They are usually out in the middle of nowhere. So when they come back to Perth for their 1 to 2 weeks off, they have a few thousand dollars in the pocket. Most are young, in their 20's or 30's, and raking in over $100k AUD a year. All of their expenses (food and lodging) are covered by their employer at the work site. So there is literally nothing to spend money on while they are working.
The flight attendant is single, in her early 30's. I was joking with here about how she must find it dealing with airplanes full of single men who are earning a lot of money. She looked at me horrified. She called them "CUB's", which is a slang acronym for "Cashed Up Bogans". A bogan is Aussie slang for someone who unsophisticated and lower class. She said that most of them spend their free time and money on their utes (Aussie pickup trucks) and getting drunk with their mates.
She was telling me about how they all dress in flannel shirts, boots, and dirty jeans, and scraggly beards. She said that they look like they are with the band ZZ Top.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The Mac OSX Experience - Day 4
Optical Media Problem:
I ran into a "gotcha!" with Apple's elegant designs. I can't eject a bad DVD disk.
Macs, unlike PCs, do not have a CD/DVD tray that comes out. Instead, they have a slot that you stick the disk in to. Sort of liking sticking a piece of bread into a toaster. To eject the CD or DVD that is in the optical drive, you have to drag the icon representing the disk to the trash can. That tells the computer to eject the disk.
So what do I do when there is a disk in the drive and the OSX doesn't see it? Because it doesn't see it, there is no icon on the desktop to represent it. Because there is no icon, I have nothing to drag to the trash can to ask the computer to eject it.
I have no idea why it can't see the disk. I inserted a blank DVD-R disk that I planned to burn some files to. I suppose that I will have to reboot the computer in WinXP and hope that XP can see the disk. It should at least see the drive, which means I could ask XP to issue an eject command.
There is no manual override button to force eject a disk. What does Apple expect people who aren't computer gurus to do when it eats a disk and refusing to "see" it? Most people aren't going to install two OS's, like I did, to see if the other can fix the problem.
MacBook & OSX Help System:
While trying to solve the above problem, I discovered another problem. There is no comprehensive help system on the HDD. I had to go the Apple web site. What would I do if I was not connected to the internet? What if the problem that I was seeking help on was getting the computer to hook up to the internet? The OSX comes with a search utility called "Spotlight". But that did not find any sort of help data.
I did find a small Macbook user guide PDF. But it was very high-level and brief overview of how to do basic things. It was not comprehensive at all.
Strange... I would think that Apple would be sure to include a good help system. Perhaps they are so confident that their hardware and software are so perfect and easy to use that a help system is not needed. Well, they are wrong!
Bluetooth Mouse:
Yesterday I bought a small bluetooth optical mouse. The Macbook comes with a built in Bluetooth transmitter/receiver. This works great! And it works under both OSX and WindowsXP. So I now have a small little wireless mouse that I can use without tying up a USB port. I didn't buy the Apple mouse. They are over priced and do not have a right click. I'm not a Mac purist, so I refuse to give up my right click button. Personally, I find OSX easier to use with the right click.
I ran into a "gotcha!" with Apple's elegant designs. I can't eject a bad DVD disk.
Macs, unlike PCs, do not have a CD/DVD tray that comes out. Instead, they have a slot that you stick the disk in to. Sort of liking sticking a piece of bread into a toaster. To eject the CD or DVD that is in the optical drive, you have to drag the icon representing the disk to the trash can. That tells the computer to eject the disk.
So what do I do when there is a disk in the drive and the OSX doesn't see it? Because it doesn't see it, there is no icon on the desktop to represent it. Because there is no icon, I have nothing to drag to the trash can to ask the computer to eject it.
I have no idea why it can't see the disk. I inserted a blank DVD-R disk that I planned to burn some files to. I suppose that I will have to reboot the computer in WinXP and hope that XP can see the disk. It should at least see the drive, which means I could ask XP to issue an eject command.
There is no manual override button to force eject a disk. What does Apple expect people who aren't computer gurus to do when it eats a disk and refusing to "see" it? Most people aren't going to install two OS's, like I did, to see if the other can fix the problem.
MacBook & OSX Help System:
While trying to solve the above problem, I discovered another problem. There is no comprehensive help system on the HDD. I had to go the Apple web site. What would I do if I was not connected to the internet? What if the problem that I was seeking help on was getting the computer to hook up to the internet? The OSX comes with a search utility called "Spotlight". But that did not find any sort of help data.
I did find a small Macbook user guide PDF. But it was very high-level and brief overview of how to do basic things. It was not comprehensive at all.
Strange... I would think that Apple would be sure to include a good help system. Perhaps they are so confident that their hardware and software are so perfect and easy to use that a help system is not needed. Well, they are wrong!
Bluetooth Mouse:
Yesterday I bought a small bluetooth optical mouse. The Macbook comes with a built in Bluetooth transmitter/receiver. This works great! And it works under both OSX and WindowsXP. So I now have a small little wireless mouse that I can use without tying up a USB port. I didn't buy the Apple mouse. They are over priced and do not have a right click. I'm not a Mac purist, so I refuse to give up my right click button. Personally, I find OSX easier to use with the right click.
How To Make A Woman Happy
Robin sent me this cheat sheet on how to make a woman happy. Thanks!
How to Make a Woman Happy
It's not difficult to make a woman happy. A man only needs to be:
1. a friend
2. a companion
3. a lover
4. a brother
5. a father
6. a master
7. a chef
8. an electrician
9. a carpenter
10. a plumber
11. a mechanic
12. a decorator
13. a stylist
14. a sexologist
15. a gynecologist
16. a psychologist
17. a pest exterminator
18. a psychiatrist
19. a healer
20. a good listener
21. an organizer
22. a good father
23. very clean
24. sympathetic
25. athletic
26. warm
27. attentive
28. gallant
29. intelligent
30. funny
31. creative
32. tender
33. strong
34. understanding
35. tolerant
36. prudent
37. ambitious
38. capable
39. courageous
40. determined
41. true
42. dependable
43. passionate
44. compassionate
WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:
45. give her compliments regularly
46. love shopping
47. be honest
48. be very rich
49. not stress her out
50. not look at other girls
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:
51. give her lots of attention, but expect little yourself
52. give her lots of time, especially time for herself
53. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT:
54. Never to forget birthdays, anniversaries, arrangements she makes
HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY
1. Show up naked
2. Bring beer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)