I'm against the "Shield Law" thing.. All men are created equal, which means newsies don't get special privileges at law that ordinary citizens do not enjoy. Also, a federal shield law is half way toward a federal license to do journalism. Next they will say publishing anything political is a violation of the election laws unless you are a federally recongnized (licensed) newsie. And then they pull licences for their political opponents (Fox).
Plus I don't see any reason why newsies should not be required to testify in court, and even reveal their sources in serious (felony) cases. Newsies are citizens too (really, they are) and when their testimony could put a school shooter, a child molester, a mafia don, or a crooked politician in jail, they ought to testify.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
So what is Putin trying to do?
Two weeks ago, Obama was about to take a big hit when Congress rejected his call for Authorization for the Use of Military Force, 21st century jargon meaning declaration of war. Then, in response to an unplanned remark by John Kerry at a news conference in Europe, Putin jumps up and sells a face saving compromise to the world. Syria will turn its chemical weapons over to a neutral party and the US won't do missile or air strikes on Syria. The Americans love the idea, the Administration loves the idea 'cause now they don't have to suffer Congressional defeat, Congress loves it because they don't have to be mean to Obama, the voters love it because they never wanted to get mixed up in Syria at all. Talk about a win-win. Everybody in America wins.
What's in it for Putin? Sure, he gets a lot of favorable publicity, and gets to write an Op-Ed in the NY Times, but all this is kinda light weight stuff. Old Joe Stalin would not have been impressed unless the deal brought more land under Russian sovereignty, more countries into the Soviet block, or destroyed enemy armies in battle. I don't see that happening here.
I think Putin would have done better to leave Obama hoist by his own petard (big mouth). Had Putin done nothing, Congress would have voted down (or trash canned) the authorization for the use of military force. That's a big hit. Obama would have either backed off on Syria, or pressed on without Congressional approval, neither of which would have come out well for Obama.
Far as I can see, Putin bailed Obama out of a deep deep hole.
I wonder why.
What's in it for Putin? Sure, he gets a lot of favorable publicity, and gets to write an Op-Ed in the NY Times, but all this is kinda light weight stuff. Old Joe Stalin would not have been impressed unless the deal brought more land under Russian sovereignty, more countries into the Soviet block, or destroyed enemy armies in battle. I don't see that happening here.
I think Putin would have done better to leave Obama hoist by his own petard (big mouth). Had Putin done nothing, Congress would have voted down (or trash canned) the authorization for the use of military force. That's a big hit. Obama would have either backed off on Syria, or pressed on without Congressional approval, neither of which would have come out well for Obama.
Far as I can see, Putin bailed Obama out of a deep deep hole.
I wonder why.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
I love my cable company
Time Warner that is. The have the charming habit of hiking my cable bill, just be cause they can. This month they hiked it up $7. Just because they can. Or so they think.
The telephone company, good old bankrupt Fairpoint, has recently installed a DSL booster on Three Mile Hill, which brings DSL to my house. I could take DSL broadband ($29.95) and satellite TV ($32) and only pay $61 to get TV and broadband. As of this month's rate hikes, I'm paying $60 to get the same services from Time Warner.
The telephone company, good old bankrupt Fairpoint, has recently installed a DSL booster on Three Mile Hill, which brings DSL to my house. I could take DSL broadband ($29.95) and satellite TV ($32) and only pay $61 to get TV and broadband. As of this month's rate hikes, I'm paying $60 to get the same services from Time Warner.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
What caused Great Depression 2.0
According to The Economist that is.
1.Banks made risky, in some cases ridiculous loans and mortgages because the risky loans paid high interest rates. When the risky loans defaulted, the banks were stuck.
2, Regulators like the Federal Reserve failed to crack down on risky loans 'cause every one was making so much money doing it.
3. Low interest rates, caused by a lot of thrifty savers in China 9 ( the savings glut) drove down world wide interest rates. The Economist thinks this was a bad thing because investors looking for a better rate of return invested in "dodgy" (clever British-ism that) securities. In my view low interest rates are a good thing because it makes it easier for consumers to finance houses, cars, vacations, whatever, which is good for sales.
4. Banks and investors lost "trust" in one another. They began to worry about "counterparties" (borrowers) defaulting, and so began to refuse to lend to the riskier of them. Another way of stating this, is banks and investors finally wised up a little bit and began to evaluate the risk in what they were doing.
5. Letting Lehman Brothers go bankrupt. This scared the bejesus out of everybody in finance, causing them to stop lending. " Non financial companies, unable to rely on being able to borrow to pay suppliers or workers, froze spending..." This is pure imagination. "Non financial companies" (manufacturers for example) never borrow to meet payroll. They make payroll from sales revenue. If sales dry up, they lay off workers. They never borrow to pay suppliers, they just pay them late. Ideally you can turn parts into product and sell the product within the 45 days you have to make good on a purchase order. If it takes longer, the supplier gets paid later. If sales dry up, you stop ordering parts.
As far as I am concerned, they should have let some more companies go bankrupt. Each bankruptcy teaches finance weenies that when they are not careful, they too can loose their jobs.
6. Letting the PIGs (Portugal, Italy, Greece) run up such huge current account debts, otherwise known as borrowing. Nobody ( including the Economist) understood that joining the Euro means you can no longer print money to pay your debts. Used to be a Greece could print a lot of money, the value of the money would fall, and so the amount of borrowing was automatically kept within sane limits. Once they went on the Euro, they could no longer print their own money, and when the loans came due, they could not pay them.
1.Banks made risky, in some cases ridiculous loans and mortgages because the risky loans paid high interest rates. When the risky loans defaulted, the banks were stuck.
2, Regulators like the Federal Reserve failed to crack down on risky loans 'cause every one was making so much money doing it.
3. Low interest rates, caused by a lot of thrifty savers in China 9 ( the savings glut) drove down world wide interest rates. The Economist thinks this was a bad thing because investors looking for a better rate of return invested in "dodgy" (clever British-ism that) securities. In my view low interest rates are a good thing because it makes it easier for consumers to finance houses, cars, vacations, whatever, which is good for sales.
4. Banks and investors lost "trust" in one another. They began to worry about "counterparties" (borrowers) defaulting, and so began to refuse to lend to the riskier of them. Another way of stating this, is banks and investors finally wised up a little bit and began to evaluate the risk in what they were doing.
5. Letting Lehman Brothers go bankrupt. This scared the bejesus out of everybody in finance, causing them to stop lending. " Non financial companies, unable to rely on being able to borrow to pay suppliers or workers, froze spending..." This is pure imagination. "Non financial companies" (manufacturers for example) never borrow to meet payroll. They make payroll from sales revenue. If sales dry up, they lay off workers. They never borrow to pay suppliers, they just pay them late. Ideally you can turn parts into product and sell the product within the 45 days you have to make good on a purchase order. If it takes longer, the supplier gets paid later. If sales dry up, you stop ordering parts.
As far as I am concerned, they should have let some more companies go bankrupt. Each bankruptcy teaches finance weenies that when they are not careful, they too can loose their jobs.
6. Letting the PIGs (Portugal, Italy, Greece) run up such huge current account debts, otherwise known as borrowing. Nobody ( including the Economist) understood that joining the Euro means you can no longer print money to pay your debts. Used to be a Greece could print a lot of money, the value of the money would fall, and so the amount of borrowing was automatically kept within sane limits. Once they went on the Euro, they could no longer print their own money, and when the loans came due, they could not pay them.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Negotiated settlement in Syria
You hear 'em talking about it. But it won't work. Assad knows that he has to win, or he is dead. Just like Hosni Mubarak, Saddam Hussein, Moammar Qaddafi, all dead. In a spot that that, is a man likely to cut a deal with his enemies? He might, maybe, go along with giving up his poison gas, but he isn't going share power with Al Quada.
Car starting in Winter
Was talking to youngest son, who is out in Minot, North Dakota, about getting his car ready for winter. Winter in Minot is really really bad. I recommended he put in a block heater rather than a freeze plug heater, and carry a really long extension cord. Northern NH winters are harsh, but not so harsh as to require block heaters, where as in Duluth, Minnesota, in which I spent three winters, every car in the city had a block heater. You could tell by the plugs hanging out of the grilles.
Conversation moved on to other things, but later, I thought of a number of winter car tricks that I hadn't passed on. Hence this post.
Cars have improved greatly since I started driving. We have alternators now, which throw a lot more juice than the old DC generators, keeping the battery charged. We have fuel injection, controlled by clever microprocessors which are much better at getting the mixture right than feet made clumsy by ski boots. We have solid state ignition that throws a spark so hot it will fire plugs burned out to twice the proper gap. At 20 below, a 2013 car will most likely crank up and go, whereas a 1957 Chevy most likely would not.
One thing that has not improved is the battery. Being chemical contraptions, they slow down as they get cold. Batteries are rated for total capacity, (usually 80 ampere-hours) and cold weather cranking current at zero degrees. (usually 800 amperes) As the temperature drops below zero, cranking current goes down. By the time forty below is reached, the battery may not have enough current to light the dome lamp.
When the weatherman is predicting really cold, you can just bring the battery indoors to keep it warm. In the morning, a nice toasty warm room temperature battery will crank with enthusiasm. Or stick a 100 watt light bulb under the hood next to the battery. Mechanic's trouble light works well. Stock up on 100 watt bulbs, the greenies are banning their sale. Or stick a battery charger on it. The charging current warms the entire battery, as well as bringing the charge up.
Batteries last three, maybe four winters. Then they go weak, and won't crank in cold weather. How to tell when the battery is getting old and tired. Check the voltage with a multimeter. A good battery, fully charged, and warm, say after a two-three hour drive, will show 12.8 volts. As they age, they show less. When the batttery gets down into the eleven volt range, it's time to go to Sears and get a Diehard. Battery voltage is measured engine off. When the engine is running, what you see is alternator voltage, which needs to be 14 volts or a little more to charge the battery. If alternator voltage is low, that's the reason your battery voltage is low, the alternator isn't doing it's thing and charging the battery.
When the car fails to crank over, get out and touch each battery terminal with your bare hand. If you feel one of 'em getting warm, that's a sign it isn't making good contact. Couple of times over the years, I have gotten the car to go by pulling the cable off, polishing the cable end and the battery terminal and putting it back together. You do carry tools in your car? All you need for this trick is pliers and a pocket knife.
The sun is your friend in cold weather. Mid day sun can warm a car up to nearly room temperature, which makes starting more certain. It may not help if you gotta get to work, but if all you have to do is go to the store, do it at mid day. Brush the snow off the car so the sun can get at it.
Back the car into the driveway. Should you need to jump start it, it's much easier if the hood faces out to the street. You do carry jumper cables? It's also easier to ram out thru that snow drift the plow throws across your driveway going forward, rather than backing into it. Leave the parking brake OFF. It can freeze ON, and then you are stuck til it melts out.
Conversation moved on to other things, but later, I thought of a number of winter car tricks that I hadn't passed on. Hence this post.
Cars have improved greatly since I started driving. We have alternators now, which throw a lot more juice than the old DC generators, keeping the battery charged. We have fuel injection, controlled by clever microprocessors which are much better at getting the mixture right than feet made clumsy by ski boots. We have solid state ignition that throws a spark so hot it will fire plugs burned out to twice the proper gap. At 20 below, a 2013 car will most likely crank up and go, whereas a 1957 Chevy most likely would not.
One thing that has not improved is the battery. Being chemical contraptions, they slow down as they get cold. Batteries are rated for total capacity, (usually 80 ampere-hours) and cold weather cranking current at zero degrees. (usually 800 amperes) As the temperature drops below zero, cranking current goes down. By the time forty below is reached, the battery may not have enough current to light the dome lamp.
When the weatherman is predicting really cold, you can just bring the battery indoors to keep it warm. In the morning, a nice toasty warm room temperature battery will crank with enthusiasm. Or stick a 100 watt light bulb under the hood next to the battery. Mechanic's trouble light works well. Stock up on 100 watt bulbs, the greenies are banning their sale. Or stick a battery charger on it. The charging current warms the entire battery, as well as bringing the charge up.
Batteries last three, maybe four winters. Then they go weak, and won't crank in cold weather. How to tell when the battery is getting old and tired. Check the voltage with a multimeter. A good battery, fully charged, and warm, say after a two-three hour drive, will show 12.8 volts. As they age, they show less. When the batttery gets down into the eleven volt range, it's time to go to Sears and get a Diehard. Battery voltage is measured engine off. When the engine is running, what you see is alternator voltage, which needs to be 14 volts or a little more to charge the battery. If alternator voltage is low, that's the reason your battery voltage is low, the alternator isn't doing it's thing and charging the battery.
When the car fails to crank over, get out and touch each battery terminal with your bare hand. If you feel one of 'em getting warm, that's a sign it isn't making good contact. Couple of times over the years, I have gotten the car to go by pulling the cable off, polishing the cable end and the battery terminal and putting it back together. You do carry tools in your car? All you need for this trick is pliers and a pocket knife.
The sun is your friend in cold weather. Mid day sun can warm a car up to nearly room temperature, which makes starting more certain. It may not help if you gotta get to work, but if all you have to do is go to the store, do it at mid day. Brush the snow off the car so the sun can get at it.
Back the car into the driveway. Should you need to jump start it, it's much easier if the hood faces out to the street. You do carry jumper cables? It's also easier to ram out thru that snow drift the plow throws across your driveway going forward, rather than backing into it. Leave the parking brake OFF. It can freeze ON, and then you are stuck til it melts out.
Monday, September 9, 2013
The Escape Hatch Opens in Syria
Looks like Obama has found a way to avoid striking Syria and saving some face. Kerry proposed a deal where Assad gives up his chemical weapons and we don't bomb him. And, bingo, the Russians take us up on it. Details are unclear, but Congress will be able to avoid voting for military action that the voters are dead set against, and the democrats in Congress will be able to avoid hanging Obama out to dry.
Looks like the famous collision between the irresistible force and the immovable object has been side stepped.
Side stepping is so attractive to every one that it will probably take place.
Now we can get on with the debt limit, the budget, Obamacare, immigration, IRS, EPA, and what to do about Detroit.
Looks like the famous collision between the irresistible force and the immovable object has been side stepped.
Side stepping is so attractive to every one that it will probably take place.
Now we can get on with the debt limit, the budget, Obamacare, immigration, IRS, EPA, and what to do about Detroit.
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