tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91104290882645641862024-02-19T21:31:25.653-05:00News from the NorthwoodsThis blog posts about aviation, automobiles, electronics, programming, politics and such other subjects as catch my interest. The blog is based in northern New Hampshire, USADstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.comBlogger5932125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-77399642324867865412023-05-22T16:30:00.005-04:002023-05-22T16:30:49.390-04:00New Republican presidential candidate, Tim Scott<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->I saw Tim Scott on TV today, doing his acceptance speech. He
is officially in the presidential race now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This guy gives a
good speech, had his audience cheering on the applause lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have not gotten a hold of a printed copy of
his speech to check where his political stuff is coming from, but it all
sounded good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might vote for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To win, he has to give that speech to a lot
more Republican audiences.
</p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-843184739453160802023-05-19T15:41:00.004-04:002023-05-19T15:41:45.598-04:00The federal debt limit.<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It says
that the US
cannot borrow money above the debt limit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>US
Treasury is saying that they will need to borrow more to pay the government’s
bills starting in June. Speaker McCarthy has written and passed a bill to raise
the debt limit and do some noticeable cutting of federal spending. No spending
cuts, not debt limit increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Needless
to say the Party of More Free Stuff (democrats) does not want to go along with
any kind of spending cuts. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should be possible
to dicker and come up with a compromise that has enough spending cuts to
satisfy Republicans and spends enough for feed democrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now Biden and WRBA are not negotigiating;
they are junketing way out in the Far East.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They won’t be home til Monday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With out Biden and his heavy duty advisors
at the table, face to face, nothing can get done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Default is not the
problem, despite what the TV keeps saying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Default is the failure of the US
to pay its obligations, namely federal bonds and treasury bills when they come
due.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Federal tax revenue is about 60% of
the needed money to run the government and pay the obligations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obligations are like 10% of the tax revenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do a little trimming, pay some suppliers
late, and we have plenty of money to pay down on bonds and T-bills.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expect when Biden
and WRBA get home they will be able to cut a deal with the Republican and
McCarthy and get on with things. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-34282924155213019032023-05-15T21:21:00.003-04:002023-05-15T21:21:50.634-04:00Biden wants to put our lights out.<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Slow Joe Biden wants to put our lights out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants his Environmental Pollution Agency
to require that fuel burning electric power plants reduce their emission by
95%.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wow. That is like ordering all our
power plants to shut down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It cannot be
done. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Consider a coal plant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Let’s burn a ton of coal to make steam to turn the electric
generators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coal is pretty much pure
carbon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ton of coal burns by combining
with two oxygen atoms to each carbon atom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This gives 3.6 tons of carbon dioxide up the stack for every ton of coal
burned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nothing you can do to
improve this. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gas fired plants are a little bit different, but the end
result is about the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In New Hampshire
we ought to have a New Hampshire
bureau that sets reasonable performance standards for electric plants and
inspects New Hampshire plants for
compliance with New Hampshire
standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Out of state trouble makers
who cause trouble for our electric generators are sabotaging our electric
supply and should be thrown in jail. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-35946079881414597382023-05-08T16:53:00.001-04:002023-05-08T16:53:15.088-04:00Reparations in California<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">California
ought to become amusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have
promised “reparations” of $1.2 million (per individual? per family? Per
extended family?)_to not well defined groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>California is $8 million
in debt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will take many many times $8
billion ($200, $400, $800 billion?) to pay the proposed reparations to every
one eligible for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The TV has not
been clear about who might be eligible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Good luck California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will bring popcorn.</p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-13840383792703138992023-05-01T15:16:00.004-04:002023-05-01T15:16:39.617-04:00Keep on Trucking. Anywhere but California.<p> California is
going to ban the sale of diesel trucks as of 2036.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was I a trucking company or a mere
owner-operator, I would start thinking about relocating out of California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reregister all my vehicles some state outside
of California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did not say if they would permit out of
state trucks with good paperwork to drive into California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they go that far, I would look of
out-of-California customers to serve.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am glad I bought a
new Chevy this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am beginning to
hear talk about banning the sale of real cars (internal combustion engines) and
forcing us all to buy battery cars.</p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-10088856347948925382023-04-29T14:48:00.003-04:002023-04-29T14:48:17.851-04:00Did the Army helicopter accident in Alaska happen in daylight or after dark?<p> Three people were killed and a fourth injured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They haven’t said when the accident occurred.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it occurred after dark, did the
helicopters have their running lights burning? They should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only reason for flying without lights might
be a training mission for flying formation in the dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which is very dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-63386789809388665752023-04-26T20:57:00.005-04:002023-04-26T20:57:57.082-04:00You can bring your kids reading up to par. <p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You can bring your children’s reading, arithmetic, science
and other subject’s grades up to par. Start out by getting your kids teacher to
give you the kid’s test scores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
will give you something to compare progress against.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the teacher won’t show you your kid’s test
scores go the next school board meeting and complain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To learn reading,
the kid has to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which means you
have to have some appropriate books in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For real young kids Dr Seuss is great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise Shel Silverstein.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Take the kid[s] book shopping with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Comic books (graphic novels) can be
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check to see of the kid likes it,
and check to see if you like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can
refuse to buy any graphic novels that you disapprove of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For older kids
Tolkien is great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise an Oz book,
Edgar Rice Burroughs stories, Fletcher Pratt stories, especially “Battles that
Changed History” is fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Science
fiction, Robert Heinlein, Jerry Pournelle, Andre Norton, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson, Hal Clement, E.
E. Smith, L Sprague DeCamp, Larry Niven, and many others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you have to
encourage the kid to read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sit down with
your kid and a good book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read a
paragraph to the kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ask the kid to
read a paragraph to you,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the kid
strikes a word that he doesn’t know, let him work on it for a bit and then tell
him how it is pronounced and what it means.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the kid will
need to know phonics so he can sound out new words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the kid is just starting to read, he
will hit a lot of words he doesn’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With phonics the kid can sound the word out and get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For phonics the kid need to know the sounds
of all 26 letters of the alphabet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Alphabet song is good for this. The he needs to know the five vowels, and the
long and short sounds of each of the five vowels, and some of the rules that
make vowels long or short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance
if the word ends in E the vowel is long. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, very
important, read a bedtime story to the kid[s] every night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This shows the kid[s] that reading can be fun
after they learn how to do it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are probably
better at choosing books for your kids than any teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My youngest had nothing but age
inappropriate, or boring, or nasty dystrophies worse than 1984,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or heart breaking stories like the one about
a young girl Afghan who had her favorite pet camel seized by the Taliban and
used to fed the troops. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a year of
this kind of practice that kid will be reading better, maybe reading at grade
level. </p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-12472312726171872242023-04-25T10:40:00.000-04:002023-04-25T10:40:13.502-04:00Lincoln 2023<p> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The m</span>ovie starts out
with Lincoln in an army camp,
talking to enlisted soldiers, both black and white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the soldiers finish up talking by
reciting passages from Lincoln’s Gettysburg
address.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Touching, at least to this
movie watcher.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movie then cuts
back to Washington where Lincoln
is pushing his secretary of state Seward to support passing the 13<sup>th</sup>
amendment to the constitution, the one that will outlaw slavery for good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lincoln
argues that it is needed because the Emancipation Proclamation<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is only effective during the Civil War and
will loose its force when peace finally happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seward argues that freeing all the slaves
will only make the Confederacy fight longer and harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of scenes with
lots of characters follow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
characters might be famous enough to have made the history books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But nobody ever names anyone, so you never
know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only name that comes thru is
that of Thaddeus Stevens, a hard core Republican in Congress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No scene involving General Grant and Lincoln
happens, nor do we have a scene of Lincoln
reprimanding the troublesome General Henry Halleck.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A meh movie,
despite having Stephan Spielberg directing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of the actor’s names were
familiar to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-41628646270253065972023-04-20T10:49:00.001-04:002023-04-20T10:49:16.665-04:00Good Work Space X<p> <span data-delight-asset="196809267710501" data-delight="true" style="color: #f1765e; font-weight: bold;">Congratulations</span><span>, Space X, The main stage got the whole thing off the launch pad and 18 miles up into the air. Something went wrong with the main stage separation, we could see the whole rocket swinging around off course on TV. I have not heard if the main stage managed a soft landing. But it's a good first try. I am sure SpaceX will be back at it and fix whet every if was that went wrong. Good work Elon Musk.</span></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-11057045026848111662023-04-19T10:40:00.003-04:002023-04-19T10:40:28.668-04:00Thoughts on going to college.<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is frightfully expensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A four year degree can cost you $100,000, new house money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it worth it? <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you flunk out and don’t graduate, you get nothing for
your money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no refund.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You want to ask your self if you have the
stick-to-it-tiveness to make it to graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How did you do in high school? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>College is not much harder than high
school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you aced high school, you can
make it thru college, no sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
just scraped by in high school you will be hurting in college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you like academic work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does writing a term paper sound interesting,
or a fearfully difficult challenge?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is
reading in a decent text book interesting or boring? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a matter you have to answer for
yourself, nobody else knows you well enough to do you any good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you think you can cut it in college
good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have doubts, think things
over carefully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you flunk out
sophomore year you will be out a lot of money and have nothing to show for it. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are not sure
about college, try something else when you graduate from high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Enlist in the armed forces, it will teach you
a lot of stuff that is good to know and they will help you pay for college if
you decide to go after serving your hitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hike the Appalachian trial, sail around the world, join the forest
service, ride a motor cycle across the United
States, take a job as sailor on a merchant
ship, become a ski bum for a winter. Anything for a change of pace. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have any idea
what you want to do to make a living after graduation? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from a very few lucky independently
wealthy individuals, you will have to make a living for most of your life after
graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your life will be happier if
you make you living doing something you like and that interests you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point in
your life you may not have a clue about what you want to do after graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You need to ask around, start with your
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does your father do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or your mother?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does what either does sound interesting? Talk
to aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends of the family, teachers, ministers,
police officers, and firemen, anyone who you figure know what they are
doing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read a few biographies of people
you admire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>College gives you a
credential (a degree) that can get you a white collar paper pushing job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or a job in sales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Have you considered a blue collar job that
gets you out of doors and gets your hands dirty?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Truck driver, lumberjack, plumber,
electrician, electronic tech, heavy equipment operator, soldier, carpenter,
fish and game warder, lineman, cop, and fireman, many others?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These jobs pay as well or better than white
collar paper pushing jobs and are fun if that sort of life appeals to you. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you decide to go
the college route, pick a major that makes you employable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The STEM (Science Technology Engineering,
Mathematics) majors are always employable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Engineering, if you can hack it, is fun, pays well, and you are always
employable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became an electrical
engineer and it worked well for me over a 40 years career. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Avoid
the “talky-talk” sciences (anthropology, sociology, psychology, political
science) and any major with “studies” in the name (black studies, women’s
studies, any old thing studies).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These
are fun to take, but they won’t get you a job anywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-76215366003920804662023-04-18T11:01:00.004-04:002023-04-18T11:01:42.999-04:00Top Gun, Maverick 2023<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not as good as
the old Top Gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Very long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of chit chat between unnamed and
unknown characters standing around the bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Little of interest was said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Navy
brass was bearing down on Maverick, trying to get him out of the Navy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Air Force we made much of our aces
like Robin Olds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why a couple of snooty
admirals want to dump their hottest ace is unfathomable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flying scenes don’t really start until
half way thru the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The target is a
uranium enrichment plant way behind enemy lines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan is to fly up a deep and twisty
riverbed, staying too low for the SAMs to get them, and bomb the deeply buried
enrichment plant out of existence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maverick gets a dozen young hotshot pilots to train, plus he must select
only half of them to fly the mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
none of his hotshots succeed in training, Maverick flies the training course
himself and aces it, naturally.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wondered about
some of the flying scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fighters
seemed to climb and turn better than I expected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was left wondering if I was watching CGI or
real aircraft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point someone
refers to “front landing gear”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never
heard anyone say that in the Air Force, it was always “nose gear”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-12147952553367897232023-04-18T10:42:00.000-04:002023-04-18T10:42:10.315-04:00Biden inflation.<p> </p><div><div class="x1rg5ohu xv55zj0 x1vvkbs xxymvpz"><div class="x3nfvp2 x1n2onr6 xxymvpz xh8yej3"><div class="xdl72j9 x1iyjqo2 xs83m0k xeuugli xh8yej3"><div class="x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe xmjcpbm"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou"><br /><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs x1xmvt09 x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Biden
inflation. Irving just filled my furnace oil tank. 172 gallons.
$4.49 a gallon. $767.77 over all. Ouch. Biden deliberately caused this
rip off when he canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, stopped oil drilling
on all federal land, and told banks and finance companies not to
finance oil drilling. He did this the very day he was inaugurated.
Greenie payoff.</div></div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w"><div aria-hidden="false" class="x1hy63sm xhva3ql x1hc1fzr"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j x1jfb8zj"><br /></span></div></div></div>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-89129123586430606912023-04-14T08:41:00.004-04:002023-04-14T08:41:47.170-04:00 Need-to-Know<p><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">How? Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does an
Airman First Class in the Massachusetts Air National Guard get access to so
many Top Secret documents?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was his
security clearance in order?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he have
a need to know this stuff?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which
superior officer[s] made all this stuff available?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to prosecuting the leaker, let’s
find and prosecute those who made the stuff available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I also heard that we have nearly three million people with
security clearances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s entirely too
many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more people have clearances
the greater the chance that one of them will leak classified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-73248159676699161822023-04-13T11:11:00.004-04:002023-04-13T11:11:24.947-04:00Security, Rules for.<p> The massive leak of classified documents to an internet
gamer’s site has convinced all America’s
friends to never share anything with the Americans because it will be leaked
all over the world.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Years ago the US Congress passed a law that declares the US
has only three classifications for anything, Confidential, Secret, and Top
Secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was done because the
intelligence services and the armed services had dreamed up all sorts of
different classifications of stuff, and when Congressmen asked to see the
stuff, they were told that they didn’t have to proper clearance to see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Congress installed the “Only-Three-Levels”
system we still have in order from them to see anything they wanted to see if
they possessed a Top Secret clearance. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another security principle is “need to know”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless you have a need to know the
information, you don’t get to see the information unless it relates to your
mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance an Army general
planning a campaign has a need to know about the enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same Army general does not have a need to
know intelligence on navies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was
one notorious case where an Army private had access to State Department
classified and passed to the Russians.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Need to know was violated in that case. <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back when I was on active duty with USAF the FBI had to do a
background check on me to get a mere Secret clearance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even visited my old high school and interviewed
Fred Swan, my physics teacher and swim team coach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was a long time ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know how things work now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How was this “OG” character that WaPo said
did the entire recent massive leak given a security clearance?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was his need to know all those
documents? <br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Classified is safest on paper and locked in a safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting the stuff onto Windows computers is
asking to have it stolen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Windows is
like Swiss cheese, full of holes. High school kids can break into Windows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I wonder where the stuff in this week's leak was stored. </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-60387448833757756522023-04-04T17:55:00.004-04:002023-04-04T17:55:27.021-04:00Hardcopy<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I am dong my income tax, using TurboTax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get to end, TurboTax tells me I have not
made any mistakes, and my chance of getting audited is low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I print out my tax return.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t efile, that makes it too easy for IRS
weenies to feed my tax return into their computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mail ‘em hard copy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My printer hummed and clattered but the ink
ran out after a few pages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ink cartridge
went empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I drove into the
Littleton Staples to get a fresh ink cartridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Arrgh, Staples does not carry #74 black ink cartridges any more, they
are obsolete now.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my old HP
printer was at least 15 years old, I decided to buy a new one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only $99 for a genuine HP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I get it home, get it unpacked, and plug it
in to the computer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I down load the HP
driver for the printer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arghh, 133
Megabytes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For just a driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Will software fatness never end?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new driver announces that it can tell
genuine HP ink cartridges from competitors ink cartridges and will refuse to
print with non-HP ink.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arghh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-52277723897273646062023-04-03T14:04:00.003-04:002023-04-03T14:04:23.571-04:00Banning TikTok<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I don’t use, or even have TikTok, so all I know is what I
see on the web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I see a lot of bad stuff
about TikTok and little to no good stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So I am fine with banning it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This might be a
little hard to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TikTok is a
website.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we pass a law outlawing the
website, TikTok could merely change the name of their website and carry on as
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could speak to the Face books
and Twitters of the world and tell them if we see any TikTok material on your
sites we will use the Sherman Antitrust Act to break up your company into at
least 5 pieces, maybe more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would
have to get all the websites, not just to biggies, but it could be done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hear that 100-150
million people have the TikTok down load on their smart phones and computers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we shut down all the TikTok websites then
I assume the TikTok down loads won’t be able to do anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unless China
opens up a TikTok website to feed all those hungry down loads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or, we could talk
very firmly to Micro$oft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their Window
Update program can remove any kind of app from a Windows hard drive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could insist that Micro$oft use Update to
clear those 100-150 million TikTok down loads off every hard drive in the land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Micro$oft won’t want to do that, and I have
no idea what sort of pressure could be brought to bear on the Micro$ofties to
get on with it. </p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-62775861909415708052023-03-31T12:55:00.005-04:002023-03-31T12:55:29.148-04:00Trump is indicted<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal">New York DA Alvin Bragg finally got around to doing it,
after threatening to do it for weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
hear some TV newsies decrying it for charging a president with a crime. I hear
other TV newsies claiming that the backlash will assure Trump gets
elected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea which, if
either, of these two ideas will work out. The charges Bragg has leaked are
Mickey Mouse to the extreme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paying off
a bimbo to keep her mouth shut is not a crime, never has been a crime. </p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-57564802158898322212023-03-29T12:41:00.001-04:002023-03-29T12:41:28.674-04:00Does it matter if the Nashville massacre is called a hate crime?<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The shooter is clearly guilty of first degree murder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That used to deserve the death penalty years
ago, but Democrats and lawyers have almost eliminated the death penalty in America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why confuse things by calling it a hate crime
instead of murder?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And since the
shooter was shot dead by the Nashville
police, it doesn’t really matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
aren’t going to try the killer since she is already dead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TV news spent a lot
of time discussing this issue today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hear the shooter
was undergoing some sort of “medical” procedure on account of her psychological
problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would love to learn the name
of the doctor whose treatment was so tragically ineffective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-84804241754465599962023-03-28T11:31:00.005-04:002023-03-28T11:31:53.168-04:00It isn’t the guns, it’s the homicidal maniacs.<p> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Nashville
school shooting was horrible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three nine
year olds are dead, shot by the shooter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is too terrible for words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Three adult school staff members are dead, also shot by the
shooter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biden is using this horrible case to call for
more gun control, this time he wants to outlaw and confiscate all semi
automatic rifles and pistols.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most guns
out there are semi automatic, so Biden is calling for confiscating everyone’s
guns.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guns are not the
problem and not the cause of the Nashville
massacre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The true cause is the large
number of homicidal maniacs that we allow to run around loose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should have mental hospitals and homicidal
maniacs should be involuntarily committed to a mental hospital until they are
cured of their homicidal mania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We used to do this
back in the old days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the
1960’s reformers declared that involuntary commitment was like putting people
in jail without a proper trial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
inmates were released to become homeless street people and the mental hospitals
were closed. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Until we round up
the homicidal maniacs running around loose we will continue to have horrible
shooting cases like Nashville. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-45708979543190285052023-03-25T15:32:00.000-04:002023-03-25T15:32:11.187-04:00Is Stanford a real law school?<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does it train its students to become real practicing lawyers
out in the real world?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the real world
everyone, especially the lawyers, treat the judge with courtesy and
respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lawyer that interrupts the
judge the way the Stanford students did would be declared in contempt of
court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The judge would have the court
officers remove the offender from the court. Or the judge can sentence the
offender to a prison term, right then and there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my estimation the Stanford students who
shouted down the judge ought to be expelled from Stanford on the grounds that
they will never become a real lawyer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-51206464272804678692023-03-22T13:42:00.001-04:002023-03-22T13:42:18.626-04:00Marketing Medicine<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I see TV ads many times a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The medicine[s] always have a strange name, a
made up word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The TV doesn’t say what
the magic medicine might cure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
not sold in stores, you have to order from the medicine’s website or telephone
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If these magic medicines really
worked I would think you could buy them in drug stores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since stores don’t carry them I have doubts
that they actually do any good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-58233425402320526502023-03-16T15:20:00.000-04:002023-03-16T15:20:05.198-04:00“The Batman” movie 2022<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two simple old
fashioned techniques fail in The Batman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The scenes are not lighted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
are so dark the only character I could recognize was Batman himself, when he
was wearing his costume. Other actors came and went, but I could not see them
well enough to tell one from another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All they had to do was turn on the lights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surely a movie budget can afford a little
electricity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the curse of
the soundman hits this movie hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
actors speak in stage whispers, or just too softly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I failed to understand much of the spoken
dialog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which makes it hard to follow
what little plot the movie might have had. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things got so bad I
stopped watching The Batman before it was halfway thru.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-17937594786636308702023-03-15T14:39:00.000-04:002023-03-15T14:39:19.450-04:00<p> $32 million for a drone???</p><p>The TV says the USAF drone lost over the black sea cost $32 million. You can buy a low end Russian jet fighter for that. Gold plate much?? <br /></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-71752748640793490172023-03-13T17:12:00.005-04:002023-03-13T17:12:40.232-04:00Silicon Valley Bank.<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:ApplyBreakingRules/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object
classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]--></p><p class="MsoNormal">This bank had $200 billion plus in deposits, mostly from
companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It had companies that
deposited $20 billion apiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sooner of
later any half way competent company can find far more profitable uses for $20
billion, more profitable than leaving it in the bank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When such a company withdraws $20 billion to
do something it’s gonna shake the financial stability of the bank, even if it
does have another $180 billion in the til.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the
thinking in bankers’ minds assumes that the depositors’ money is very small
compared to the banks total assets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
that they have a lot of depositors but they don’t all withdraw their deposits
at the same time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m thinking that Silicon
Valley ignored all this and did not worry when big depositors made
big withdrawals.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Biden promised to make all the depositors whole without
laying the burden on taxpayers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is
gonna have FDIC pay off everybody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of
course FDIC gets its money from taxpayers, and $20 billion depositors take a
lot of paying off. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9110429088264564186.post-37242966920360435482023-03-12T18:07:00.005-04:002023-03-12T18:07:57.232-04:00The Federal Debt limit.<p> We are approaching it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It should hit sometime in September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Last time, maybe ten years ago, the newsies cried and wailed that the US
was going to default on its debts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
true. Never happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Federal
government collects enough taxes to pay about 65% of its debts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other 35% is paid be selling treasury
bills (soundest investment on the planet). Last time my mail got delivered (the
post office is nearly independent these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They don’t do checks for Social Security any more, the computers do
electronic funds transfer right into my checking account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t due an income tax refund, so
shutting down the IRS didn’t bother me.
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did furlough a
lot of federal bureaucrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tough on
them but my sympathy for bureaucrats is limited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus as I remember they all got their jobs
back with back pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the newsies,
even the Fox newsies, are wailing on the air that we are going to default on
our debts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did not happen last
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Party of More Free Stuff
(Democrats) has proposed trillions of dollars of new pork spending.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If the Republicans have the stones they
should tell the Democrats, we won’t raise the debt ceiling just to pay for
their pork.</p>
<p></p>Dstarrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17712583039034496867noreply@blogger.com0