| Honduras |
[Jul. 7th, 2009|10:55 pm] |
OK, when there's something I don't like in Congress, I call my MC (Member of Congress, not Hammer) and Senators about it.
If the Obama Administration is countenancing thugs in Central America, who do I complain to? The Post Office? Call the White House directly?
Honduras at the Tipping Point
Why is the U.S. not supporting the rule of law?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124683595220397927.html
I realized tonight that I disagree with this administration more than I disagreed with the previous two combined. A new record! Ugh. |
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| Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad |
[Jul. 6th, 2009|12:23 pm] |
Today marks the 35th wedding anniversary of my folks.
They actually had two -- the Carson City wedding (lots of stories from their little roadtrip to pull that one off) and later a wedding through the church in 1985.
I thought about Mom a lot over the weekend. She's been on my mind, having been married recently, expecting a child, and having a house in escrow. Hi Mom, wherever you are! |
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| California's busted budget - 2 |
[Jul. 3rd, 2009|11:30 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Caltrain | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  distressed | ] |
Written on Caltrain earlier this week
Well, it keeps getting worse...
A shocker:
The Albany-Trenton-Sacramento Disease
How three liberal states got into deep trouble with 'progressive' ideas.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597150183556945.html
LMQ: So goes the real-life experience of progressive governance [in NY, NJ, and CA], with heavy tax burdens financing huge welfare states, and state capitals dominated by public-employee unions. Formerly rich states, they are now known for job losses, booming deficits and debt, wage stagnation, out-migration and laughing-stock legislatures. At least Americans have the ability to flee these ill-governed states for places that still welcome wealth creators. The debate in Washington now is whether to spread this antigrowth model across the entire country.
Oh yes, California is hosed. That's pretty clear now!
So, now what? Do we just default? Get a Federal bailout (like everyone else)?
( Read more... ) |
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| Common charger |
[Jun. 29th, 2009|12:39 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  amused | ] |
Here's some technology common sense...
Cell phone manufacturers in Europe have agreed to standardize chargers to the micro-USB format already on a lot of phones. This assertion by Gunter Verheugen, vice-president of the European Commission, however, is laughable: "This also means considerably less electronic waste, because people will no longer have to throw away chargers when buying new phones."
Yes, we won't have to throw one away, but before long manufacturers will not include a charger and we will have to buy one, and then another, and another. Since most people will buy the cheapest crap they can, we'll be swimming in after-market junk chargers. Sigh... At least they will be the same format. But I'm not so sure about a "considerable reduction."
article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/ptech/06/29/cellphones.universal.charger |
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| Weekend update |
[Jun. 29th, 2009|08:39 am] |
What a great weekend.
Hot as hell. Now, you may consider this hyperbole or swearing, but consider: it was 100+ degrees in Ducor, Visalia, and Fresno over the weekend. (100 in Visalia Saturday, 108 in Fresno yesterday)
We drove down the long way on Friday afternoon, through my favorite part of California, the back country of San Benito County, where my mom was raised... More or less along this route: 101 -> 25 -> 198....
View route...
I dream this stretch of California countryside from time to time. There are beautiful, quiet valleys resplendent with amber waves of grass, shimmering in the sun. And the heat wasn't too bad. It wasn't until we started the climb on 198 over to Coalinga that the thermostat began to rise. In fact, Hollister was only about 75 on Friday afternoon, considerably cooler than the 88 we left behind in San Jose.
M's family reunion was all day on Saturday at the family ranch in Ducor. I spent most of the time in the shade and wore sunscreen, so I mostly avoided a burn, except for a couple spots on my collar. It could have been very bad so I'm grateful. Then again, I know from experience to stay out of the sun -- not just wear sunscreen -- but seek shade.
I saw a lot of my own family over the weekend: oldest brother and his wife in Visalia Saturday morning, and my sisters and their families in Fresno yesterday afternoon.
We got home about 10:30pm.
Weekends are too short.
Time to get cranking on the work week.... |
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| Still More Health Care Reform... |
[Jun. 29th, 2009|08:24 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Caltrain | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | geeky | ] |
Another interesting read on the dangers of public administration of health plans:
The Dangers of Fannie Mae Health Care
A public plan would have certain advantages. That's precisely the problem.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597297859757163.html
LMQ:Turning to public plans like Medicare and Medicaid for more efficient administration is a fool's errand.
Yeow!
I would still argue that regional co-ops, Kaiser P style, are the best option. Efficiencies are not found in who pushes the paper but who provides the integrated care. Early detection, prevention, and integrated care are what makes Kaiser Permanente work so well for so many.
We think we have an insurance crisis in this country. We don't -- we have a health care crisis. There is a big difference between insurance and care.
No worries -- we'll can just take pain killers when the government denies our operations:
Obama's Health Future
Rationing, and not only withholding care from the elderly.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124597492337757443.html
My mom, dad, and I used to have debates on this one, usually Mom against me 'n' Dad. Since over half a person's lifetime cost of care is expended in their final six months, Dad and I were agreed that Medicare should NOT pay for extraordinary care once a person is over the actuarial life expectancy for his/her cohort. My mom, raised under the New Deal, certainly did not agree -- she felt that everyone should get every possible treatment, regardless of the cost, since "we paid into it all these years." Ironically, when it was her time to go, she died in her sleep. I hope I am so lucky.
Her perspective was interesting and reflective of the way Social Security and New Deal programs were sold: you pay in, you get something out -- like a savings account. Apparently no one remembered to tell the Greatest Generation that the Federal Government was really operating a Ponzi scheme and that the boomers were paying for the great benefits they got. Whoops!
Ironic that when it comes to public health care, I agree with Obama's rationing aspects for the elderly, but only when people are over their life expectancy. As I used to say, if you want to Save Social Security, cut Medicare. Sounds terrible but yes, it really is that simple.
Unfortunately I think rationing is coming for orphans who need operations too. Sigh... |
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| I am nosy |
[Jun. 26th, 2009|09:48 am] |
...especially when it comes to hearing and decoding other languages. It's tourist season, and on the Peninsula one regularly sees / hears European tourists on Caltrain. Typically Germans or French in between SF and Palo Alto.
Last night I heard something strange from some Nordic looking teenagers. I glanced over and saw the girl was addressing a postcard to Finland. Ah, now it all makes sense.
Finnish (I assume that's what they were speaking) sounds like English played backwards. Fascinating. |
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| Transplant ethics |
[Jun. 24th, 2009|11:51 am] |
Medical ethics question of the day...
...and I always knew that high school senior year religion "selective" would come in handy! (I would say "elective" but we had to pick from a menu of four or five religion classes, so it wasn't like I could take another subject instead....)
"Did Steve Jobs' money buy him a faster liver transplant?"
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/24/liver.transplant.priority.lists/index.html
Even if it did, isn't that, on the whole, a good thing? Not because he is super-rich but because he is super-productive! From the perspective of maximizing social good, giving Steve Jobs a few more years on his life benefits thousands of employees, millions of consumers, the government (increased revenue), etc. This is not Paris Hilton we're talking about here, or someone who drank his liver away, but the one and only "Steve."
Excerpt: The reason that some people might be able to get transplants more quickly is that they're standing in more lines. Nothing prevents someone from being evaluated and listed at multiple transplant centers. As long as a patient has the wherewithal to fly around the country -- and be available at the drop of a hat if a liver becomes available (this is where the private jet comes in handy) -- a patient can, in theory, be evaluated by all the transplant centers in the country.
(disclosure: I am an AAPL shareholder.)
Let's just give thanks that we're not rationing care, yet. Then again, if Steve supported the political party in power (and I'll bet he did) I'll bet he could have gotten to the front of that line, too. |
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| Iran |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|11:33 pm] |
I've not commented on my blog about Iran's new revolution over the last week-plus, but I must say, I have been excited by the reports filtering back.
And boy do I mean filtering: I worry about the Big Brother implications of some of the technology employed by the Iranian government, amid news reports that a network management system by Nokia-Siemens is allowing the government to view micro-packets.
...Let alone gunning down innocents in the street for peaceably assembling. Our Constitution of the United States (and the Bill of Rights in particular) sounds so prescient. To think it was written so long ago!
A columnist called it the "Islamic slave state of Iran," a new turn of phrase to my ears. I think I'll borrow that. By any name, it's one evil and repressive regime.
But the courage of the people -- young and old -- cannot be denied.
I am inspired.
A wise man once said:
"The struggle in the world today for the hearts and minds of mankind is based on one simple question: Is man born to be free, or slave? In country after country, people have long known the answer to that question. We are free by divine right."
--Ronald Reagan, 1982 |
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| California's busted budget |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|06:33 pm] |
written on Caltrain this morning...
Great primer on the California Budget at the bottom of this page -- a flash animation with a little professor:
Budget magicians use sleight of hand to help close California's giant deficit
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_12657933
A few choice data points:
"California has the highest number of employees compared with other states (479,594 in 2007)." Well, that makes sense: this is the most populous state, with lots of parks and the largest public higher-ed systems in the world. I'm OK with that, although we should be achieving some solid economics of scale.
"...and the second-highest average pay, behind New Jersey." That does not make sense -- A huge proportion of the state government is based out of Sacramento and other Central Valley cities -- if anything, our salary averages should be significantly lower than many other states whose capital cities are in more expensive metro areas.... and then we remember that report that our state employees on average make WAY more than the average employees statewide...
Personally, given my life events of the last year (and the coming months), I will probably be slashing my withholding -- so they can adjust the tables, but I will not be paying more into Sacramento. My goal is that by early 2010, we owe them a few hundred dollars, so we don't have to wait for a refund like last year.
Here's an idea -- how about cutting all the bureaucracy in Sacramento and slashing and burning the regulatory regime? I know, it's counterintuitive, but when you are short $$$, you should find ways to make do with less. |
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| Ouch! |
[Jun. 23rd, 2009|05:05 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 2661D, 77B | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  pissed off | ] |
I just bit my lip while eating an apple.
Damn, this hurts! |
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| Mary |
[Jun. 19th, 2009|10:22 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Home - San Jose | ] |
| [ | mood |
| |  sad | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Fantastic Toys and Corduroys - Duncan Sheik | ] |
At the house I grew up in, Mom and Dad used to grew flowers in the backyard. Callalillies, gardenias, roses, and more, in addition to fruits and vegetables in Dad's garden. When we were in elementary school, on occasion my sister Lydia and I would take flowers to our teachers.
Such memories resurfaced earlier this morning after reading my first grade teacher's obituary this morning in the Mercury News. (We found out Wednesday, since my wife works at the school.)
Mary passed away suddenly on Sunday after being sick with an unknown respiratory illness. Doctors were doing a lung biopsy when she went into cardiac arrest, and they were unable to revive her.
She was only 56.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/mercurynews/obituary.aspx?n=mary-m-gonzales&pid=128614847
Obviously, her passing conjures many of the same sensations of shock and grief as Mom's passing less than two years ago, like picking a scab on my heart. Of course, Mom was 80 then, so circumstances were a little different.
Mary, as one of my first teachers, was one of my many Moms, up to and beyond my school board run in 2004, which she strongly supported. The obituary asks for donations to Sacred Heart Community Service in lieu of flowers. We'll probably take some flowers to the memorial anyway but not send them through the florist. We can give the difference to Sacred Heart. I chuckle and think -- typical of her, always wanting to help everyone else.
She was part of the glue that holds the Lyndale community together. It's a special place -- generations of families have sent their children and then children's children there -- in fact, my nephew just finished third grade there last week.
There's an empty space now where Mrs. Gonzales once stood. All of us will miss her greatly. |
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| Paying down debt |
[Jun. 17th, 2009|05:52 pm] |
This is a great story, and exactly what you have to do. When you get to start making more money, keep cutting expenses until the debt is gone. Been there, done that. Well, most of the way (not as much CC debt to start with, and not fully paid off yet, but close!!!)
How I Paid Down $50K In Debt
Credit cards nearly landed me in bankruptcy. But bailouts aren’t for me. I took a pass on iPhones, flat-screen TVs and fancy laptops and pulled my finances back from the brink.
http://www.theroot.com/views/how-i-paid-down-50k-debt
I know people who called their credit card company (companies) and settled debts for pennies, or walked away from cars and other assets. Never, ever could I do that (unless maybe I had some disaster like a big health problem or something serious.) I prefer to follow Alexander Hamilton's lead -- he pushed for the US to pay off its debt after the Revolutionary War fair and square, to establish its bona fides in the world. Same for me to be an adult....
My method has been to track debts month over month using an Excel spreadsheet, focusing on improving three metrics: total liabilities (debts), net value (assets minus liabilities), and weighted average interest rates. My weighted interest rate right now is now close to 4%, thanks to getting rid of everything else and still having low student loan rates.... I also did other tricks like borrowing against my 401k -- I'd rather pay myself interest -- and moving to lower interest rates, then taking the money I saved and putting it toward the principal.
Man, I still need a "money" icon... |
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| The latest welfare scheme: Free cellphones for the masses... |
[Jun. 15th, 2009|09:53 pm] |
I'll grant that some people need a lifeline phone, such as elderly. But did you know that ALL cell phones work, even without activation, to call 911, as long as they are charged up?
So what is this about?!
Providing Cellphones for the Poor
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/15/technology/15cell.html
Here's the killer quote about one family of participants:
Out of the roughly $1,600 they make each month after taxes, they pay $159 for a landline telephone, high-speed Internet and cable television.
Hmmm. Something tells me that if they have cable TV they are not exactly what the Times at Christmastime calls their "neediest cases." And if they are hurtin', why the hell are they blowing 10% of their net income -- $159 -- out the door in telecom? You can get a "triple play" in most places for about $100.
The end of the piece is priceless:
...Mr. Simmons from the Bronx says he likes being able to communicate when he is on the go. And he does not see what all the fuss is about when it comes to cellphones.
“People walk around with their head stuck into these things, not paying attention to what’s going on around them,” he said. Even though he thinks these people look silly, he said, he is going to use his cellphone.
Why not? he said. “It’s free.”
Free for him -- not free for the rest of us, who pay ridiculous taxes on telecom services to subsidize those of dubious "need."
We are trying to buy a house right now, so times are tight. We cut out Dish Network because it was unnecessary and costly (at $40 a month). Why should I pay for TV? Ridiculous. And to think I'm paying for others to get "free" stuff while we're cutting back? Absurd. |
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| Twitter vs. LJ |
[Jun. 11th, 2009|10:35 am] |
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Does no one LJ anymore? Sheesh! |
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| Earn it |
[Jun. 11th, 2009|10:31 am] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | 2661D, 77B | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | busy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Fantastic Toys and Corduroys | ] |
We saw the rest of Saving Private Ryan last night after catching the first hour earlier in the week. I had bought the DVD on Sunday with a gift card I got for my birthday.
I've been thinking all morning about the money quote from that movie, about our lives, our safety, our freedoms: "Earn it." |
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| Saved or created |
[Jun. 9th, 2009|10:41 pm] |
Scammers in DC putting the spin on economic reports. Sigh...
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124451592762396883.html
If the "saved or created" formula looks brilliant, it's only because Mr. Obama and his team are not being called on their claims. And don't expect much to change. So long as the news continues to repeat the administration's line that the stimulus has already "saved or created" 150,000 jobs over a time period when the U.S. economy suffered an overall job loss 10 times that number, the White House would be insane to give up a formula that allows them to spin job losses into jobs saved.
So much for transparency and accountability. Ha!
I miss our previous president. At least when his goons did something fishy the press challenged it in the nightly news instead of accepting it hook, line, and sinker. |
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