Dunno what for. Fox reported that Obama didn't like some unexplainable technicality. Whoop Whoop. There has gotta be a juicier reason than that. Obama doesn't care about technicalities. Maybe he likes continuing resolutions 'cause they give the bureacracy more leeway to spend as much as they like?
Congress ought to say to Obama "This is the defense spending bill. If you don't sign it, you shut the armed forces down. We ain't changing it."
Thursday, October 22, 2015
Hillary on the stand
Hillary admitted that security requests from Libya were handled by lower level staffers and never came to her desk.
This is wrong, 100% wrong, and a good reason not to elect Hillary next year. When the top man, the ambassador, to a country in which we are doing regime change, wants to get top level attention at State, his messages should NOT get short stopped by mid level bureaucrats.
As a rule ALL messages from ambassadors should go to the Secretary of State.
This is wrong, 100% wrong, and a good reason not to elect Hillary next year. When the top man, the ambassador, to a country in which we are doing regime change, wants to get top level attention at State, his messages should NOT get short stopped by mid level bureaucrats.
As a rule ALL messages from ambassadors should go to the Secretary of State.
Mockingjay Part 1
I paid money to see the first two Hunger Games flicks down at the Jax Jr. They were very good. This one, by mail from Netflix, not so much. Katniss Everdean is no longer a combat heroine fighting thru the games. She is now reduced to a spokesman (woman) for the resistance. She is being manipulated some what against her will, by a couple of old resistance fuds. Peeta has been taken by President Snow's republic and is speaking on TV to support the Republic. Just how this attitude reversal happens is never made clear. Peeta and Katniss never meet face to face in this movie. Katniss seldom takes any action of her own volition, mostly she is maneuvered here and there.
The movie runs slow, long periods of Katniss looking moody but not doing anything.
The movie runs slow, long periods of Katniss looking moody but not doing anything.
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Questions about Benghazi
1. Why were pleas for more security in Benghazi ignored? If Hillary claims she never saw the request, do this followup question: What kind of a state department were you running when emails from ambassadors in war zones get lost?
2. Why were no aircraft sent to Benghazi that night? A couple of F-16s orbiting the consulate down low would have been very effective.
3. Why did Obama fire General Carter Ham, head of Africom? And he fired Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette from his command of the powerful Carrier Strike Group Three (CSG-3) currently located in the Middle East . General Ham was fired right in the middle of the Benghazi attack, and Admiral Gaoutte was fired shortly afterwards. Service rumor has it that both officers were re leaved of command because they were sending re inforcements to Benghazi against Obama's orders to let the consulate be overwhelmed
4. What was that Benghazi installation anyhow? US consulate? or CIA weapons warehouse? And what was the ambassador doing at the consulate/warehouse that night? Ambassadors don't usually visit the lower level consulates, especially when there is no consul in residence. Speaking of which, who was that Benghazi consul anyhow.
5. How long would it have taken to dispatch a rescue force?
6. Why did you blame the attacks upon an obscure piece of video?
That's my questions. I'm sure there are more.
2. Why were no aircraft sent to Benghazi that night? A couple of F-16s orbiting the consulate down low would have been very effective.
3. Why did Obama fire General Carter Ham, head of Africom? And he fired Rear Admiral Charles M. Gaouette from his command of the powerful Carrier Strike Group Three (CSG-3) currently located in the Middle East . General Ham was fired right in the middle of the Benghazi attack, and Admiral Gaoutte was fired shortly afterwards. Service rumor has it that both officers were re leaved of command because they were sending re inforcements to Benghazi against Obama's orders to let the consulate be overwhelmed
4. What was that Benghazi installation anyhow? US consulate? or CIA weapons warehouse? And what was the ambassador doing at the consulate/warehouse that night? Ambassadors don't usually visit the lower level consulates, especially when there is no consul in residence. Speaking of which, who was that Benghazi consul anyhow.
5. How long would it have taken to dispatch a rescue force?
6. Why did you blame the attacks upon an obscure piece of video?
That's my questions. I'm sure there are more.
I wish Paul Ryan every sort of luck
He is gonna need it. If he becomes speaker, he has to deal with a badly splintered Republican party, and the Speaker doesn't have many carrots or sticks to bring low speed Congress Critters into line. A lot of reps are doing their own thing, putting sticks in the wheels of progress and getting away with it. Too many Republican reps like to fight just for the sake of fighting. They want to pick fights they will never win, just for the publicity they get from picking a fight. Others, RINOs, are entirely too willing to give Obama what he wants with out even charging him a price.
Hopefully Ryan has demanded some party loyalty from the obstreperous Republican cabals as a price for accepting the Speakership.
Ryan ought to make a good speaker, he is intelligent, well informed, fair, and a nice guy to boot. If Republicans cannot give a guy like Ryan their support in Congress, the party is doomed.
Hopefully Ryan has demanded some party loyalty from the obstreperous Republican cabals as a price for accepting the Speakership.
Ryan ought to make a good speaker, he is intelligent, well informed, fair, and a nice guy to boot. If Republicans cannot give a guy like Ryan their support in Congress, the party is doomed.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Neil Cavuto on Fox trashes Star Wars
Neil, a nice guy, I watch his show regularly. He ranted against the coming Star Wars flick, said he just didn't understand why everyone loves Star Wars. Neil it's real simple. The first Star Wars, back in the 1970's, was so good, that everyone has loved them ever since.
The first Star Wars came out when I was full grown, graduated from college, back from Viet Nam, married, home owner. Took the wife and caught it in the theater on opening night. I had seen the ad in the Boston Globe, but other than that, I hadn't heard a word about it. Typical studio effective publicity. It was so good, we went back to see it all over again a few nights later. Saw it a third time with my mother, who liked it. No other movie was that cool, to make me pay to see it three times. The two sequels were nearly as good.
I will admit, that the three "prequels" released 20 years later were not up to the standard of the original three. But they weren't bad enough to spoil the property. Of course I will go see the new Star Wars coming out shortly. So will everyone else.
The first Star Wars came out when I was full grown, graduated from college, back from Viet Nam, married, home owner. Took the wife and caught it in the theater on opening night. I had seen the ad in the Boston Globe, but other than that, I hadn't heard a word about it. Typical studio effective publicity. It was so good, we went back to see it all over again a few nights later. Saw it a third time with my mother, who liked it. No other movie was that cool, to make me pay to see it three times. The two sequels were nearly as good.
I will admit, that the three "prequels" released 20 years later were not up to the standard of the original three. But they weren't bad enough to spoil the property. Of course I will go see the new Star Wars coming out shortly. So will everyone else.
Jim Webb drops out of the Democratic race
Too bad. Of all the democrats at their debate a week ago, he was the most rational sounding speaker there, a man who actually understands how the country works and how it feels. No flaky socialist stuff, no free stuff giveaways, no domestic enemies list. I thought Webb was the best candidate the democrats had. Sorry to see him go.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Where did all the industry go?
The Boston and Maine historical society presented a talk and slide show in Plymouth NH yesterday. I drove down to see it, the sun was out, the leaves were bright. Pleasant drive. The presentation was in the former B&M passenger station in Plymouth, now a senior center. Presenter was Dwight Smith, serious railfan and long time B&M employee, with slides going back to the late 1930's. Subject was rail operations in northern New England. Lots of slides, diesels, steam, stations. Long freight trains, mostly boxcars, going to all sorts of places that no longer have rail service at all. Berlin, Lancaster, Colebrook. At each vanished rail line Dwight would mention the names of the industries and the traffic they used to produce. For instance Berlin used to generate 11000 carloads of freight a year.
Thinking about those long trains of boxcars, made me think of all the jobs needed to create the product to fill them. For some reason, our northlands has de industrialized since the 1950's. The paper mills are closed, the bobbin mills are gone, the furniture factories are gone and nothing has replaced them. Some of the business has gone to trucks, milk for example, but most of it has just gone up in smoke. Teenagers growing up today look to leaving the state to find work when they graduate high school.
New Hampshire needs to work on getting more industry. Right to work would help a lot. So would reducing the business tax.
Thinking about those long trains of boxcars, made me think of all the jobs needed to create the product to fill them. For some reason, our northlands has de industrialized since the 1950's. The paper mills are closed, the bobbin mills are gone, the furniture factories are gone and nothing has replaced them. Some of the business has gone to trucks, milk for example, but most of it has just gone up in smoke. Teenagers growing up today look to leaving the state to find work when they graduate high school.
New Hampshire needs to work on getting more industry. Right to work would help a lot. So would reducing the business tax.
Need to tame the wildlands
Wildlands are places lacking effective government, where terrorists like the late Osama Bin Laden can set up shop, and pull off a 9/11. We, the United States, cannot permit wildlands to exist. If you don't believe this, I can show you a couple big holes in the ground in Manhattan. And 3000 American dead, worse than Pearl Harbor.
Any government that cannot control who operates on their territory needs something done. Sometimes assistance, arms, helicopters, advisers, or money is enough. Sometimes regime change is in order. For example Al Quada, ISIS, and the Taliban are hostile, they live to destroy us, no amount of diplomacy or bribery is going to change that, they need to be destroyed, ASAP.
Once we get into a place and do regime change, Syria for example, we gotta carry it thru. We need to find some decent locals to hold office, we have to back them up with US armed forces, we need to get their economies working and growing. In a lot of places we need to do land reform, break up the big plantations and give out forty acre plots to the tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Most terrorists start out being unemployed, then they get radicalized 'cause they got nothing better to do. Make the local economy grow, create jobs, and potential ISIS recruits will stay on their jobs rather than sign up with ISIS.
The new regimes we establish don't have to be very democratic. They need to gain effective control of their national territory. For which they need a decent rapport with their citizens, other wise they loose effective control. The citizens have to be reasonably happy with the new regime. Otherwise it won't work. If a new regime doesn't work out, we have to be prepared to depose it, and put in a better one.
All this can take time, years, especially in uncivilized places like Syria and Afghanistan. But it is essential work that must be done, or we will have more big craters in our cities.
The democrats, and some Republicans on the weird wing dispute this. They call it "nation building", expensive and unnecessary. They want the United States to pull back, retreat, to North America and let the rest of the world go down the tubes. They don't seem to realize, even after 9/11, that terrorists operating out of wildlands can do us enormous harm. They will have nukes next time.
Any government that cannot control who operates on their territory needs something done. Sometimes assistance, arms, helicopters, advisers, or money is enough. Sometimes regime change is in order. For example Al Quada, ISIS, and the Taliban are hostile, they live to destroy us, no amount of diplomacy or bribery is going to change that, they need to be destroyed, ASAP.
Once we get into a place and do regime change, Syria for example, we gotta carry it thru. We need to find some decent locals to hold office, we have to back them up with US armed forces, we need to get their economies working and growing. In a lot of places we need to do land reform, break up the big plantations and give out forty acre plots to the tenant farmers and sharecroppers. Most terrorists start out being unemployed, then they get radicalized 'cause they got nothing better to do. Make the local economy grow, create jobs, and potential ISIS recruits will stay on their jobs rather than sign up with ISIS.
The new regimes we establish don't have to be very democratic. They need to gain effective control of their national territory. For which they need a decent rapport with their citizens, other wise they loose effective control. The citizens have to be reasonably happy with the new regime. Otherwise it won't work. If a new regime doesn't work out, we have to be prepared to depose it, and put in a better one.
All this can take time, years, especially in uncivilized places like Syria and Afghanistan. But it is essential work that must be done, or we will have more big craters in our cities.
The democrats, and some Republicans on the weird wing dispute this. They call it "nation building", expensive and unnecessary. They want the United States to pull back, retreat, to North America and let the rest of the world go down the tubes. They don't seem to realize, even after 9/11, that terrorists operating out of wildlands can do us enormous harm. They will have nukes next time.
Saturday, October 17, 2015
What is "Democratic Socialism"?
It's Bernie Sanders ideology, I guess. Used to be, socialism and communism wanted to run the entire economy by owning all the "means of production" to use Marx's phrase. With a benevolent government running everything, the workers would get better wages and the evil capitalists would get fleeced. There wasn't much difference between socialism and communism, except socialists felt they could come to power thru the ballot box, communists wanted to come to power via a violent revolution. Once in power, there wasn't much to choose from.
The Russians had a communist revolution take power in 1917 and it lasted about 70 years before the Russians dumped it. The Germans and the Italians tried socialism in the 1930's and it only lasted until overthrown by force of arms in 1945. There is nothing in historical socialism to recommend it.
So, here comes Bernie, touting his "democratic socialism". He isn't talking about a government takeover of the "means of production" because that won't fly in America, and advocating it would make him sound like a nutcase. What he might do if elected is unknown.
What he does talk about is putting in a bunch of soak-the-rich taxes. Is there any more to Bernie?
The Russians had a communist revolution take power in 1917 and it lasted about 70 years before the Russians dumped it. The Germans and the Italians tried socialism in the 1930's and it only lasted until overthrown by force of arms in 1945. There is nothing in historical socialism to recommend it.
So, here comes Bernie, touting his "democratic socialism". He isn't talking about a government takeover of the "means of production" because that won't fly in America, and advocating it would make him sound like a nutcase. What he might do if elected is unknown.
What he does talk about is putting in a bunch of soak-the-rich taxes. Is there any more to Bernie?
Friday, October 16, 2015
Let's cut a deal
Democrats want to hike the debt ceiling, so they can keep on spending. Republicans want to do some cuts.
Here's the deal. We pass proper appropriation bills for each executive department. AFTER, all the appropriations are passed, AND signed by the president, THEN we will hike the debt ceiling just enough to get thru the next fiscal year.
With proper appropriation bills, we can have some control, we can cut wasteful pork, and beef up programs that actually help the economy. Right now the government is running on a "continuing resolution" a bill which says, "OK, you bureaucrats can keep on spending like you spent last year." All the waste keeps on pouring down the drain.
We want that open check book closed, and no money spent except by lawful appropriations.
Here's the deal. We pass proper appropriation bills for each executive department. AFTER, all the appropriations are passed, AND signed by the president, THEN we will hike the debt ceiling just enough to get thru the next fiscal year.
With proper appropriation bills, we can have some control, we can cut wasteful pork, and beef up programs that actually help the economy. Right now the government is running on a "continuing resolution" a bill which says, "OK, you bureaucrats can keep on spending like you spent last year." All the waste keeps on pouring down the drain.
We want that open check book closed, and no money spent except by lawful appropriations.
Dawn over Marblehead
President Obama has finally figured out that withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan amounts to handing the place over to the Taliban. Just like the US withdrawal from Iraq handed the place over to ISIS. He will leave 10,000 troops in country to the end of this year and 5,000 troops for next year. Did anyone catch Giuliani's comment on this? Giuliani pointed out that he had 35,000 cops in New York City, and you would think you would need more to keep order in an entire country, a country inhabited by less law abiding and more warlike people than the New Yorkers.
Took long enough for common sense to penetrate to the oval office.
Took long enough for common sense to penetrate to the oval office.
Karate Kid, the remake
It's a bit old, 2010, and I cannot remember just how Netflix got it to my mailbox. I had expected the 1984 original, and was mildly surprised to learn that there even was a remake. It told the same story as the original, with some updates. Young Dre Carter and his mother, who are black, pick up stakes from Detroit, rather than New Jersey, and go farther than California, all the way to China. There are a lot of picturesque shots of Chinese scenery, the Great Wall, swoopy roofed buildings, and so on. Jackie Chan plays the apartment complex handyman who teaches young Dre Carter Kung Fu. The school bullies, the rival dojo's, and the tournament follow just like in the original.
It wasn't til the middle of the movie, reading the English subtitles for the Chinese language dialogue that I figured out that Dre Carter was a boy rather than a girl. Dre, played by Jadeen Smith, son of William Smith, wears a long shaggy dreadlocks haircut, is a young skinny kid, and kind of cute looking. It's a boy who waves goodbye to him in Detroit, and the first kid he meets in China is a blonde boy, who looks cute but fades out of the story pretty quickly.
I never did hear about this movie back in 2010 when it was released. Chalk that up to miserable studio publicity efforts. I don't remember any comment on the blogs and websites I cruise regularly.
The remake ain't nearly as good as the original. Jackie Chan didn't play his part nearly as well as Pat Morita did 25 years ago. He didn't have the good punch lines in his dialogue, and he didn't do the inscrutable Oriental bit as well as Pat Morita did. Jadeen Smith didn't develop the warm father-son relationship with Mr Hung (Jackie Chan) that Ralph Macchio did with Mr. Miyagi in the original. My other complaint, is Jadeen Smith's opponent in the tournament was a lot bigger, taller, and heavier than Jadeen, to the point where the "willing suspension of disbelief" became unwilling. I'm watching the match saying to myself, "No way does a kid that skinny, and that short, has a chance to beat that much bigger, taller, heavier kid." The climax fight scene would have been more exciting to watch had the opponents been more evenly matched.
Hollywood does a lot of remakes. Some of them come out pretty good, The Prisoner of Zenda in the 1950's was better than it's predecessor from the 1930's. The True Grit remake was pretty good, especially going up again John Wayne's version which many call the Duke's best movie. The suits in Hollywood and New York like remakes, they figure all the people who liked the original will come to see the remake. Doing a new movie from the ground up (new characters, new story, new sets) is always risky, the audience may not like the movie, and it looses money. This remake did make serious money, although the original made somewhat more.
It wasn't til the middle of the movie, reading the English subtitles for the Chinese language dialogue that I figured out that Dre Carter was a boy rather than a girl. Dre, played by Jadeen Smith, son of William Smith, wears a long shaggy dreadlocks haircut, is a young skinny kid, and kind of cute looking. It's a boy who waves goodbye to him in Detroit, and the first kid he meets in China is a blonde boy, who looks cute but fades out of the story pretty quickly.
I never did hear about this movie back in 2010 when it was released. Chalk that up to miserable studio publicity efforts. I don't remember any comment on the blogs and websites I cruise regularly.
The remake ain't nearly as good as the original. Jackie Chan didn't play his part nearly as well as Pat Morita did 25 years ago. He didn't have the good punch lines in his dialogue, and he didn't do the inscrutable Oriental bit as well as Pat Morita did. Jadeen Smith didn't develop the warm father-son relationship with Mr Hung (Jackie Chan) that Ralph Macchio did with Mr. Miyagi in the original. My other complaint, is Jadeen Smith's opponent in the tournament was a lot bigger, taller, and heavier than Jadeen, to the point where the "willing suspension of disbelief" became unwilling. I'm watching the match saying to myself, "No way does a kid that skinny, and that short, has a chance to beat that much bigger, taller, heavier kid." The climax fight scene would have been more exciting to watch had the opponents been more evenly matched.
Hollywood does a lot of remakes. Some of them come out pretty good, The Prisoner of Zenda in the 1950's was better than it's predecessor from the 1930's. The True Grit remake was pretty good, especially going up again John Wayne's version which many call the Duke's best movie. The suits in Hollywood and New York like remakes, they figure all the people who liked the original will come to see the remake. Doing a new movie from the ground up (new characters, new story, new sets) is always risky, the audience may not like the movie, and it looses money. This remake did make serious money, although the original made somewhat more.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Words of the Weasel Part 48
"a temporary glitch" is what Fox News called the failure of the TSA computer system. I'd call that a crash myself. And a program that is buggy enough to crash probably has other bugs that cause it to give the wrong answers.
The Parties should not let TV people control the debates.
The Republican and Democrat parties should control who gets into the debate, who is the moderator[s], when and where the debates are held, and what the questions will be. They should not allow the TV newsies to control any thing of importance.
The newsies are hugely partisan, and they rig things to help their candidates and hurt the other sides candidates. I see no reason why such poorly educated, biased, and ignorant people should be allowed to influence the elections.
The parties could easily say to the candidates, "You won't appear on any debates that we, the party, do not approve of. Anyone who steps out of line will be denied the nomination."
The newsies are hugely partisan, and they rig things to help their candidates and hurt the other sides candidates. I see no reason why such poorly educated, biased, and ignorant people should be allowed to influence the elections.
The parties could easily say to the candidates, "You won't appear on any debates that we, the party, do not approve of. Anyone who steps out of line will be denied the nomination."
Leaves are at peak now
Speaking of Franconia Notch. They are as bright as they are gonna get. From here on in, it's more brown, and fallen. Considering that we have not had a frost up here, things look pretty bright.
Words of the Weasel Part 47
"Passed away" or now just "passed". A euphemism for die. When some one dies, lets just say he died, like real people do. To use "passed" is to soften the dreadfulness of death.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
So I watched the Dem debates to the end
Nobody self destructed on stage. They all think alike. They all want to hike taxes. They try to soften this by claiming to favor soak-the-rich taxes and they all talk about "income inequality" as an excuse for soak-the-rich taxes. They all want to take our guns away. They all want $15 minimum wage. They are all doves on foreign policy. They all like mandatory maternal leave. They all think you can get thru a New Hampshire winter on "alternate energy", rather than furnace oil and gasoline. Most of 'em favor "comprehensive immigration reform", what ever that might be. They all believe in "climate change". They are all in favor of free college for all. None of 'em said a word about charter schools. Bernie wants free health care for all too. Soak-the-rich taxes will pay for all this. Right.
Hillary looked pretty good. So did Bernie Sanders. Jim Webb impressed me as the most rational person on the stage. Lincoln Chaffee looked old, querulous, and out of touch. Former Maryland governor whats-his-name didn't make much of an impression.
Moderator questions were OK. They asked each candidate about some embarrassing incident or saying in their past. They did not ask anyone what they might do to fix the economy.
If the democrats win next year, we are doomed. Vote a straight Republican ticket.
Hillary looked pretty good. So did Bernie Sanders. Jim Webb impressed me as the most rational person on the stage. Lincoln Chaffee looked old, querulous, and out of touch. Former Maryland governor whats-his-name didn't make much of an impression.
Moderator questions were OK. They asked each candidate about some embarrassing incident or saying in their past. They did not ask anyone what they might do to fix the economy.
If the democrats win next year, we are doomed. Vote a straight Republican ticket.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Dems think Iraq is worse than Viet Nam
Most of the five dems standing on the stage tonight believe (or said they believe) that the Iraq war was the worst mistake the US has made in modern times.
Viet Nam cost 50,000 casualties, lasted 10 years, and the Communist enemy drove us out of the country and conquered South Viet Nam and placed it under a Communist dictatorship in Hanoi. That's about as bad as defeats get.
Iraq cost only 5000 casualties, a lot, but only a tenth of the Viet Nam casualties. It was successful, the enemy regime was deposed, and a new one installed. Things were well in hand until Obama withdrew all our troops. Without US support, the new regime collapsed, and ISIS took over most of the country.
I say Viet Nam was much much worse than Iraq.
Viet Nam cost 50,000 casualties, lasted 10 years, and the Communist enemy drove us out of the country and conquered South Viet Nam and placed it under a Communist dictatorship in Hanoi. That's about as bad as defeats get.
Iraq cost only 5000 casualties, a lot, but only a tenth of the Viet Nam casualties. It was successful, the enemy regime was deposed, and a new one installed. Things were well in hand until Obama withdrew all our troops. Without US support, the new regime collapsed, and ISIS took over most of the country.
I say Viet Nam was much much worse than Iraq.
Beer Monopoly
It's coming. Inbev (#1 brewer worldwide) wants to buy SABMiller ( #2 brewer worldwide) for $104 billion. Combine the #1 and #2 brewers and you have a world wide monopoly. They will be able to hike their prices without fear of competition, there is no competition.
The anti-trust division at Justice ought to fight this merger. If anti trust means anything, it means the two top firms in any one market cannot merge. The two top firms are supposed to compete, on price and on quality. The merger just eliminates competition, so they can hike the price and lower the quality and get away with it.
The anti-trust division at Justice ought to fight this merger. If anti trust means anything, it means the two top firms in any one market cannot merge. The two top firms are supposed to compete, on price and on quality. The merger just eliminates competition, so they can hike the price and lower the quality and get away with it.
Monday, October 12, 2015
I buy a car to drive it, not to compute in it
The new car ads on TV speak of Bluetooth connectivity, On-Site, satellite radio, GPS navigation, electronic gadget after electronic gadget.
I don't buy a car to get electronics. I want to drive it. The auto marketeers seem to have forgotten my segment of the market.
So what properties of car make it sell? First off is a good low price. There was a time when you could buy a brand new VW beetle for $1800. That year a Chevy baseline sedan cost $2800. The Beetle wasn't very big, had sort of weird styling, didn't have much power, lacked automatic transmission, but it was well built, reliable, good paint job, good gas mileage, and it sold. Even got to star in a Disney movie.
Then there is styling. Good styling doesn't make the car more expensive. The dies to press the sheet metal cost the same whether they press handsome fenders or ugly ones. Detroit used to do good styling, just look at the movies and TV, all the good guys drive classic Detroit cars. You never see a good guy driving a Chevy Avio. For 2015, the best cars rise to the level of merely plain, nothing looks as sharp as say a 1959 Buick, or a '60s Pontiac GTO. Lackluster styling is the fault of corporate suits. The stylist's conceptions are all vetted by top management before going into production. Top management is no longer real car people like Lee Iacocca, but miserable narrow gauge bean counters. Who select the bland styling now universal.
Then we have carrying capacity. The minivans and SUV's sell to people who have children to transport and stuff to bring home. If you don't have children, you get a pickup truck. The little econobox sedans cannot do either, and serve mostly to drive to work.
Over the years Detroit invented new body styles, the station wagon, the compact car, the pony car, the minivan, the SUV. Each one of these made a ton of money. Detroit needs to invent some more body styles. For example, a real small car that can bring plywood and sheetrock home from the lumber yard, or a bureau home from the yard sale. A clever roof rack, a removable top, something, to let you do some hauling without getting into an F150.
Right now Detroit is getting along by expanding into China. But that won't last, the Chinese will take over their own auto production. They need to work harder on the North American market.
I don't buy a car to get electronics. I want to drive it. The auto marketeers seem to have forgotten my segment of the market.
So what properties of car make it sell? First off is a good low price. There was a time when you could buy a brand new VW beetle for $1800. That year a Chevy baseline sedan cost $2800. The Beetle wasn't very big, had sort of weird styling, didn't have much power, lacked automatic transmission, but it was well built, reliable, good paint job, good gas mileage, and it sold. Even got to star in a Disney movie.
Then there is styling. Good styling doesn't make the car more expensive. The dies to press the sheet metal cost the same whether they press handsome fenders or ugly ones. Detroit used to do good styling, just look at the movies and TV, all the good guys drive classic Detroit cars. You never see a good guy driving a Chevy Avio. For 2015, the best cars rise to the level of merely plain, nothing looks as sharp as say a 1959 Buick, or a '60s Pontiac GTO. Lackluster styling is the fault of corporate suits. The stylist's conceptions are all vetted by top management before going into production. Top management is no longer real car people like Lee Iacocca, but miserable narrow gauge bean counters. Who select the bland styling now universal.
Then we have carrying capacity. The minivans and SUV's sell to people who have children to transport and stuff to bring home. If you don't have children, you get a pickup truck. The little econobox sedans cannot do either, and serve mostly to drive to work.
Over the years Detroit invented new body styles, the station wagon, the compact car, the pony car, the minivan, the SUV. Each one of these made a ton of money. Detroit needs to invent some more body styles. For example, a real small car that can bring plywood and sheetrock home from the lumber yard, or a bureau home from the yard sale. A clever roof rack, a removable top, something, to let you do some hauling without getting into an F150.
Right now Detroit is getting along by expanding into China. But that won't last, the Chinese will take over their own auto production. They need to work harder on the North American market.
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Car radios get better every year
Way back when, when the radios were vacuum tube, the Boston FM stations faded out to static about the time we crossed Rt 128. Then it was AM all the way to Cannon Mt, usually WBZ. So yesterday I drove back from Boston with the FM in my new-to-me car playing WCRB, the Boston classical music station. The radio pulled in good solid signal all the way to Concord NH. That didn't used to happen.
It was a lovely day, leaves at peak all the way, sunny, blue sky, hint of fall in the air but not really cold. My old North Shore model railroad club threw an open house and train show in Wakefield. I found some stuff at the show, and admired all the work that had gone into the layout since I retired to NH 6-7 years ago. Lot of old friends were still active, was glad to see them all.
It was a lovely day, leaves at peak all the way, sunny, blue sky, hint of fall in the air but not really cold. My old North Shore model railroad club threw an open house and train show in Wakefield. I found some stuff at the show, and admired all the work that had gone into the layout since I retired to NH 6-7 years ago. Lot of old friends were still active, was glad to see them all.
Who needs their own camera?
When you can Google images of nearly anything. I'm making HO models of hopper cars. So I Google "hoppers Baltimore and Ohio" , and presto, a hundred photos of B&O hopper cars pop up, old ones, new ones, builder's broadsides, end views side views, three quarters views. Then I can go for Hoppers, Chesapeake and Ohio, or hoppers Boston and Maine
One thing to watch out for, half the photos on Google are of model hoppers. Since I am modeling, I want photos of the real thing rather than some other modelers idea of what a hopper should look like.
One thing to watch out for, half the photos on Google are of model hoppers. Since I am modeling, I want photos of the real thing rather than some other modelers idea of what a hopper should look like.
Friday, October 9, 2015
So what ails the House Republicans, really?
The current Speaker of the House kerfuffle is fun to watch, but it means that House Republicans dislike each other too much to work together. That much is clear from watching the TV news. What is less clear is the why of the situation, and a description of the sides, (Two? Three? More?) and what the beefs are. Which side has which beef?
Is it some concrete issue or issues? if so what are they? Immigration? taxes? Planned Parenthood? abortion? Syria? Ukraine? TPP? Voter ID? Gun control? all of the above? Something else? And if its issues, who is one which side[s]? The TV newsies don't seem to know, which is not unusual, TV newsies know very little.
Is is personalities? Some reps just cannot stand other reps? If so, who cannot stand who? How many are involved?
Is it pecking order? Some reps want more influence, more juicy committee assignments, better office space? better parking spots? some other perk that we don't know about?
Is it strategy and tactics? Such as shutting down the government vs cooperate and graduate? Try to get some good legislation thru or just dig in your heels and oppose Obama at every turn on general principles? Compromise with the Democrats or hold out for ideological purity even if it means you don't pass anything.
Is it some concrete issue or issues? if so what are they? Immigration? taxes? Planned Parenthood? abortion? Syria? Ukraine? TPP? Voter ID? Gun control? all of the above? Something else? And if its issues, who is one which side[s]? The TV newsies don't seem to know, which is not unusual, TV newsies know very little.
Is is personalities? Some reps just cannot stand other reps? If so, who cannot stand who? How many are involved?
Is it pecking order? Some reps want more influence, more juicy committee assignments, better office space? better parking spots? some other perk that we don't know about?
Is it strategy and tactics? Such as shutting down the government vs cooperate and graduate? Try to get some good legislation thru or just dig in your heels and oppose Obama at every turn on general principles? Compromise with the Democrats or hold out for ideological purity even if it means you don't pass anything.
Steve Jobs, Product Champion
A lot of people, youngest son included, don't understand what Steve did that makes him important. Steve was not an inventor. His famous products, Apple II, Mac, Ipod-pad-phone used the standard technology of their times in straightforward ways. There are few to no patentable ideas in these products.
So what was Steve's role? Steve was the guy who could tell a salable product from an also ran. Long before prototypes were built, or market analysis done, Steve could look at the proposed product, when it was just a paper study, or a paper specification, and recognize the market beating products. As executive, Steve was the guy who pushed the products he saw as successful thru research and development, into production, and marketed them successfully. He didn't invent these products, he chose them , nurtured them and brought them to market. And made Apple the wealthiest corporation in the world.
I haven't seen the forthcoming movie about Steve, the reviews are unexciting, apparently the movie dwells on Steve's shortcomings and a father and family man. That's regrettable, but a lot of men suffer simular failings. Very few men have been as productive in business as Steve was.
He is missed.
So what was Steve's role? Steve was the guy who could tell a salable product from an also ran. Long before prototypes were built, or market analysis done, Steve could look at the proposed product, when it was just a paper study, or a paper specification, and recognize the market beating products. As executive, Steve was the guy who pushed the products he saw as successful thru research and development, into production, and marketed them successfully. He didn't invent these products, he chose them , nurtured them and brought them to market. And made Apple the wealthiest corporation in the world.
I haven't seen the forthcoming movie about Steve, the reviews are unexciting, apparently the movie dwells on Steve's shortcomings and a father and family man. That's regrettable, but a lot of men suffer simular failings. Very few men have been as productive in business as Steve was.
He is missed.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
We can do better than McCarthy for Speaker
US Rep Kevin McCarthy is currently running to succeed John Boehner as Speaker of the House. McCarthy has some problems. First and foremost is raging hoof in mouth disease. He brags that the House committee on Benghazi has been instrumental in bringing Clinton down in the polls. That's super dumb. Benghazi is about why military support was denied a US ambassador under fire. It's about why two US general officers were relieved of command that night. Chairman Trey Goudy has bent over backwards to keep the committee working on real stuff, rather than becoming a get-Hillary operation. And in one short brag on TV, McCarthy has blown all that away. Nobody is ever going to believe the Benghazi committee is anything but political retribution now.
Plus, McCarthy is Boehner's right hand man. Expect more of the same, only less effective. Boehner didn't get all that much done, but he was respected by every one, his word was good, and if there was a chance of talking people around to his point of view, Boehner could do it. McCarthy lacks that kind of respect, especially now that he opened his big mouth and torpedoed the Benghazi investigation. And, he will continue Boehner's policies, he approves of them, if he didn't he wouldn't be Boehner's #2 man.
We ought to do better than McCarthy.
Plus, McCarthy is Boehner's right hand man. Expect more of the same, only less effective. Boehner didn't get all that much done, but he was respected by every one, his word was good, and if there was a chance of talking people around to his point of view, Boehner could do it. McCarthy lacks that kind of respect, especially now that he opened his big mouth and torpedoed the Benghazi investigation. And, he will continue Boehner's policies, he approves of them, if he didn't he wouldn't be Boehner's #2 man.
We ought to do better than McCarthy.
TV doesn't advertise for consumerism
Consumerism, that evil denounced by lefties, Popes, and communists. Supposedly too much love for consumer products, like cars, nice houses, color TV, clothing, laptops, i-pod-pad-phone, that sort of stuff. True believers are supposed to love hair shirts, poverty, raising their own vegetables.
So I'm watching a late night movie on TV, the cheapy kind where you get ten minutes of movie followed by ten minutes of commercials. Funny thing, few to none of those irritating commercials were pushing consumer products. Lots of ads for pills and medicine, nearly as many ads from lawyers looking for plaintiffs so they can sue pill companies, ads for fast food, insurance, financial deals and credit cards, just one ad for cars (Honda). Those ads ain't pushing consumer products, at least not the kind of consumer products that I could get into buying. I suppose fast food does get consumed, but can you imagine the reaction of your kid after you gave him/her a happy meal as a Christmas gift?
Consumerism is pretty much a spent force here in the US. Which might account for why the economy sucks, low demand for consumer goods.
So I'm watching a late night movie on TV, the cheapy kind where you get ten minutes of movie followed by ten minutes of commercials. Funny thing, few to none of those irritating commercials were pushing consumer products. Lots of ads for pills and medicine, nearly as many ads from lawyers looking for plaintiffs so they can sue pill companies, ads for fast food, insurance, financial deals and credit cards, just one ad for cars (Honda). Those ads ain't pushing consumer products, at least not the kind of consumer products that I could get into buying. I suppose fast food does get consumed, but can you imagine the reaction of your kid after you gave him/her a happy meal as a Christmas gift?
Consumerism is pretty much a spent force here in the US. Which might account for why the economy sucks, low demand for consumer goods.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Free market capitalism makes us all rich.
The United States is the richest country in the world. Our poor live better than the middle class in most places. Our store shelves bulge with products, fresh vegetables, fruits, meat. TV sets, computers, automobiles, refrigerators, electric power, clean running water, flush toilets, oil heat, and telephone are commonplace. We can buy fresh produce any time of year.
Private enterprise capitalism brings all these benefits to us. For instance, all the zillions of different things we need, from food clothing and shelter, to repair parts for every automobile manufactured since Henry Ford's time, to semiconductors of a million different types, light bulbs, hand tools, appliances, furniture, there must be a billion different things for sale in the US. And somehow, our factories produce just the right quantity of of each and every thing we need. You can always find what ever it is you need or want. The stores have enough stuff on the shelves but not too much. This miracle of organization and planning happens automatically, and the answers come out right every time. Supply and demand takes care of it. When something runs short, the price rises, which encourages producers to produce more of it. Or new producers to enter the market. Likewise when demand falls, the price falls, and producers make less of it, or switch to other lines of product.
The Soviets tried to operate without supply and demand. The communists fixed the prices of everything and set up a giant bureaucracy in Moscow to issue production quotas to every producer in the Soviet Union. Somehow they never got it right, and the Russians bounced from shortage to shortage. Just recently Russian coal miners went out on strike because they couldn't get soap to wash up with coming off shift. I mean soap is a very simple commodity, it's been in production since Roman times. And coming off shift in a coal mine, you need soap to get the coal dirt off your body.
One of the things that makes the US dollar so strong, and so valued world wide, is US abundance. An overseas holder of dollars knows that the Americans have plenty of every thing to sell. And they sell it happily. Show the money, and the product gets shipped. Whereas a holder of Russian rubles is mostly out of luck The Russians don't have much to sell, and much of what they produce is so shoddy that no one really wants it. They can do crude oil, vodka, and weapons, but that's about it.
So let's stop bashing capitalism, and stop talking up communism (aka socialism). Capitalism makes us all rich. Communism makes us all miserable.
Private enterprise capitalism brings all these benefits to us. For instance, all the zillions of different things we need, from food clothing and shelter, to repair parts for every automobile manufactured since Henry Ford's time, to semiconductors of a million different types, light bulbs, hand tools, appliances, furniture, there must be a billion different things for sale in the US. And somehow, our factories produce just the right quantity of of each and every thing we need. You can always find what ever it is you need or want. The stores have enough stuff on the shelves but not too much. This miracle of organization and planning happens automatically, and the answers come out right every time. Supply and demand takes care of it. When something runs short, the price rises, which encourages producers to produce more of it. Or new producers to enter the market. Likewise when demand falls, the price falls, and producers make less of it, or switch to other lines of product.
The Soviets tried to operate without supply and demand. The communists fixed the prices of everything and set up a giant bureaucracy in Moscow to issue production quotas to every producer in the Soviet Union. Somehow they never got it right, and the Russians bounced from shortage to shortage. Just recently Russian coal miners went out on strike because they couldn't get soap to wash up with coming off shift. I mean soap is a very simple commodity, it's been in production since Roman times. And coming off shift in a coal mine, you need soap to get the coal dirt off your body.
One of the things that makes the US dollar so strong, and so valued world wide, is US abundance. An overseas holder of dollars knows that the Americans have plenty of every thing to sell. And they sell it happily. Show the money, and the product gets shipped. Whereas a holder of Russian rubles is mostly out of luck The Russians don't have much to sell, and much of what they produce is so shoddy that no one really wants it. They can do crude oil, vodka, and weapons, but that's about it.
So let's stop bashing capitalism, and stop talking up communism (aka socialism). Capitalism makes us all rich. Communism makes us all miserable.
Monday, October 5, 2015
Sail a 700 foot container ship into a hurricane,
And then suffer engine failure. The ship sinks and all on board are lost. Lifeboats don't help in a Cat 4 hurricane.
Dumb and dumber. The hurricane's location was on all the TV channels, it wasn't moving very fast, even a sluggish container ship could out run it. You gotta be really really dumb to sail any kind of ship into a hurricane, especially a top heavy unseaworthy container ship.
Dumb number two. Leaving port with the ship's engines so messed up that they fail at sea. Without engine power, any ship will broach broadside to the wind and get battered til it sinks. With engine power you can keep the ship's bow into the wind, taking the blows of the sea on the strongest part of the ship.
Dumb and dumber. The hurricane's location was on all the TV channels, it wasn't moving very fast, even a sluggish container ship could out run it. You gotta be really really dumb to sail any kind of ship into a hurricane, especially a top heavy unseaworthy container ship.
Dumb number two. Leaving port with the ship's engines so messed up that they fail at sea. Without engine power, any ship will broach broadside to the wind and get battered til it sinks. With engine power you can keep the ship's bow into the wind, taking the blows of the sea on the strongest part of the ship.
Words of the Weasel. Part 46
"Issue" all purpose low meaning word that replaces all sorts of real words. For instance computer programs don't have bugs, they have "issues". Veterans suffering from traumatic head injuries have "memory issues" not memory loss. When you hear people talking "issues" know that they are lying to you.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
DVD crashes DVD player
This happened last night. Was playing a Netflix DVD in my plain Jane Magnevox DVD player. After some 20-25 minutes of playing the disc, the picture froze and the sound stopped. And, the player refused to respond to the remote control or the front panel buttons. The bad code read in from the disc crashed the microprocessor in the player so hard I had to unplug the player and plug it in again to regain control.
We know that the DVD structure includes player commands to move the read head, jump to another spot on the disc, freeze the video, disable fast forward and other things. That's how those menus at the start of the DVD work. Presumably some damage to the DVD mangled a player command. And the player code has a bug in it too. Properly coded players should examine all player commands read from disc and reject any unknown commands or improperly formatted commands. Halt and catch fire is never a valid player command. Looks like my player ain't properly coded.
We know that the DVD structure includes player commands to move the read head, jump to another spot on the disc, freeze the video, disable fast forward and other things. That's how those menus at the start of the DVD work. Presumably some damage to the DVD mangled a player command. And the player code has a bug in it too. Properly coded players should examine all player commands read from disc and reject any unknown commands or improperly formatted commands. Halt and catch fire is never a valid player command. Looks like my player ain't properly coded.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Congress punts again.
Congress passed a "continuing resolution" last night. Rather than perform its Constitutional role of allocating Federal funds to needed programs, it punted. The continuing resolution says in effect, "All you bureaucrats can keep on spending money the way you did last year."
No killing of wasteful and unneeded programs. No new programs. Stasis, nothing changes. With the economy headed for the rocks, Congress says "Steady as she goes. Full steam ahead."
In stead of passing departmental appropriation bills like its is supposed to, Congress has spent its time threatening to shut down the government, investigating Hillary's email, passing highway bills, and general purpose bloviating.
Way to go Congress Critters.
No killing of wasteful and unneeded programs. No new programs. Stasis, nothing changes. With the economy headed for the rocks, Congress says "Steady as she goes. Full steam ahead."
In stead of passing departmental appropriation bills like its is supposed to, Congress has spent its time threatening to shut down the government, investigating Hillary's email, passing highway bills, and general purpose bloviating.
Way to go Congress Critters.
Sunny Skies in NH
Sun is out, it's getting a little crispy, but not so crispy as to have frost. TV is full of hurricane stories, but you would never know it from looking at the sky around here.
Friday, October 2, 2015
I oughta turn in my U of Delaware degree
I got my engineering degree from University of Delaware back in the early 1970's. It was a decent place, with excellent faculty, and reasonable students. Since then things seem to have gone downhill.
Back some years ago, FIRE denounced Delaware for running an indoctrination program on the dorms. The RA's were holding mandatory meetings, advocating all sorts of lefty multi culti things, and quizzing students about their sexual activity, and sexual identity. After the FIRE story broke, the alumni (myself included) sent in a blizzard of disapproval letters, emails, and phone calls. It was enough, and the resident indoctrination policy stopped.
Now we have a new story. Students reported nooses hanging from a tree near campus. Hate crime they cried. Police investigated next day and found the "nooses" were actually the remains of paper lanterns from an event held on the premises months ago. Students so wanted a hate crime to demonstrate against, that they totally ignored the police report and went on to hold demonstrations.
Back when I was a student at U of D, the students were better balanced, better informed, and not looking for a cause celebre to spark political activity.
Maybe I should turn in my degree.
Back some years ago, FIRE denounced Delaware for running an indoctrination program on the dorms. The RA's were holding mandatory meetings, advocating all sorts of lefty multi culti things, and quizzing students about their sexual activity, and sexual identity. After the FIRE story broke, the alumni (myself included) sent in a blizzard of disapproval letters, emails, and phone calls. It was enough, and the resident indoctrination policy stopped.
Now we have a new story. Students reported nooses hanging from a tree near campus. Hate crime they cried. Police investigated next day and found the "nooses" were actually the remains of paper lanterns from an event held on the premises months ago. Students so wanted a hate crime to demonstrate against, that they totally ignored the police report and went on to hold demonstrations.
Back when I was a student at U of D, the students were better balanced, better informed, and not looking for a cause celebre to spark political activity.
Maybe I should turn in my degree.
Another Homicidal Maniac allowed to run loose
Flips out and kills six, seven, eight, or more college students in Oregon. Before the bodies are cold, Obama is on TV bleating for gun control.
How about some nut case control? Someone should have noticed that something wasn't right before he started killing. Parents, teachers, relatives, friends, co workers, someone. Some psychiatrists should have examined him, diagnosed him as a homicidal maniac, and committed him to a mental hospital.
Well that didn't happen. Apparently it never does. If someone else had been carrying, they might has stopped him. Wanna bet the college forbade carrying on campus?
How about some nut case control? Someone should have noticed that something wasn't right before he started killing. Parents, teachers, relatives, friends, co workers, someone. Some psychiatrists should have examined him, diagnosed him as a homicidal maniac, and committed him to a mental hospital.
Well that didn't happen. Apparently it never does. If someone else had been carrying, they might has stopped him. Wanna bet the college forbade carrying on campus?
Thursday, October 1, 2015
What to read for light reading?
Long ago I used to read "mainstream fiction" and science fiction. The mainstream drifted off course, yielding immense thick tomes with wimpy protagonists who whined a lot but never did anything. Science fiction especially back in the John W. Campbell era was more readable. Likeable protagonists had missions, set out to accomplish them, and usually succeeded. The stories had life, often had thought provoking future societies, and the story moved.
Well they don't right science fiction much any more. The really great golden age authors are mostly dead by now, and the few survivors are getting too old to write anymore. The newer authors mostly try to do Tolkien style fantasy because they never took physics, chemistry, and biology in high school and feel they are to ignorant to do science fiction. Fantasy, especially when you can invoke magic, means you can dream up anything you like, you don't have to know anything. Trouble is, none of the Tolkien wanna-be authors have written anything nearly as good as Tolkien.
At this time, I have started reading what the trade calls "Young Adult" books, mostly fantasies. At least they have likable teen age protagonists, who have a mission, go out and do it, and don't whine. Rick Riordan's stories of classical gods and goddesses surviving into modern times (21st century) are fun. Phillip Pullman's stories set in an alternate earth are good. George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones stuff is OK except he keeps killing of all the good guys and letting the bad guys flourish.
Well they don't right science fiction much any more. The really great golden age authors are mostly dead by now, and the few survivors are getting too old to write anymore. The newer authors mostly try to do Tolkien style fantasy because they never took physics, chemistry, and biology in high school and feel they are to ignorant to do science fiction. Fantasy, especially when you can invoke magic, means you can dream up anything you like, you don't have to know anything. Trouble is, none of the Tolkien wanna-be authors have written anything nearly as good as Tolkien.
At this time, I have started reading what the trade calls "Young Adult" books, mostly fantasies. At least they have likable teen age protagonists, who have a mission, go out and do it, and don't whine. Rick Riordan's stories of classical gods and goddesses surviving into modern times (21st century) are fun. Phillip Pullman's stories set in an alternate earth are good. George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones stuff is OK except he keeps killing of all the good guys and letting the bad guys flourish.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Volkswagen, Who Dunit?
I wonder just who at VW was in on the emissions cheating software. It could have be just a single programmer. Despite code reviews, only the programmer, usually a single individual, really knows what his code does. I can visualize a clever programmer thinking up this scheme, and being so pleased with his cleverness that he slips it into production code, without anyone's knowledge.
I can also see someone in middle management thinking up the scheme, and taking it to his boss for OK. And I can see that boss going to his boss, right up the organization until the CEO's office is reached. I can also visualize senior management, a bunch of bean counters, not really understanding what they were being asked to approve.
I can also visualize someone in engineering thinking up schedules of fuel injector settings vs engine RPM, in fact maybe three such schedules, full throttle acceleration, economical cruise, and "idle" Idle being defined any time the car isn't moving. And passing these schedules over to the programming staff, who codes them up without really understanding what's going on.
Or, someone in marketing, scheming to get into the US market with diesel cars, talks to some old buddy over in engineering or the software group about how to get the diesels to pass the much stiffer US emissions tests.
I wonder what really did happen. And will we ever learn?
I can also see someone in middle management thinking up the scheme, and taking it to his boss for OK. And I can see that boss going to his boss, right up the organization until the CEO's office is reached. I can also visualize senior management, a bunch of bean counters, not really understanding what they were being asked to approve.
I can also visualize someone in engineering thinking up schedules of fuel injector settings vs engine RPM, in fact maybe three such schedules, full throttle acceleration, economical cruise, and "idle" Idle being defined any time the car isn't moving. And passing these schedules over to the programming staff, who codes them up without really understanding what's going on.
Or, someone in marketing, scheming to get into the US market with diesel cars, talks to some old buddy over in engineering or the software group about how to get the diesels to pass the much stiffer US emissions tests.
I wonder what really did happen. And will we ever learn?
New TV Season
Last night was ABC. I watched the Muppets at 8 PM. Not great. They were more entertaining on Sesame St, or in th various Muppet Movies. In a half hour show, nothing much happened. Miss Piggy took up with a live actor (forget his name) but she never really told off Kermit. Too bad, while raising three children I got to see a LOT of Sesame St, and the Muppets were a big part of it.
So, at 9PM I watched a Marvel Comic book show, Agents of Shield. Meh. Again nothing much happened. So fair martial arts moves, one confused male rescue, but no resolution of his problems.
So back to Netflix for me.
So, at 9PM I watched a Marvel Comic book show, Agents of Shield. Meh. Again nothing much happened. So fair martial arts moves, one confused male rescue, but no resolution of his problems.
So back to Netflix for me.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Trump's Tax Plan
Not too bad, not too good. I like the idea of just a few tax brackets, and lower rates all around. Scrubbing the "Alternate Minimum Tax" is an excellent idea. Recalculating my taxes for "AMT" takes as much time as figuring them straight up on the first pass. Scrubbing the death tax is a good idea. Most small American businesses, gas stations, motels, barber shops, restaurants, stores, landscaping companies and the like, are owned by the individual who created them. When this guy dies, they levy estate tax on the entire business, often as bad as 20%. Most of these small businesses don't have that sort of money, and if they do, they cannot afford giving Uncle 20% of the business in cash. If the owner could pass the business down to an heir, tax free, it might stay in business and keep employing people. As it is, death of the owner is death of the small business.
I clicked out to the Trump website to read the whole thing. There ain't much more to it than what The Donald gave out on TV yesterday. It's short and vague. Doesn't list the "loopholes" he plans to close.
I don't like the notion of the bottom tax bracket being zero. I think everyone should pay something, if only a few percent, to let them feel the pain of taxes. Especially as the bottom half of the income groups is the one that sucks up more government bennies that the others.
I clicked out to the Trump website to read the whole thing. There ain't much more to it than what The Donald gave out on TV yesterday. It's short and vague. Doesn't list the "loopholes" he plans to close.
I don't like the notion of the bottom tax bracket being zero. I think everyone should pay something, if only a few percent, to let them feel the pain of taxes. Especially as the bottom half of the income groups is the one that sucks up more government bennies that the others.
Monday, September 28, 2015
Just how expensive are Emergency Room visits ?
Was reading a piece in the Journal about emergency room vists, and how expensive they are, and it's really too bad that so many people go to the ER when they feel ill. It went on to say that as long as the emergency room is the only 24/7 medical facility, they are gonna get a lot of business.
Been thinking about that. Just how expensive is an emergency room visit, really? Wanna bet the hospital takes the total cost of running an emergency room divided by the number of patients served? Which is a cute statistic but it doesn't mean anything. Like if zero patients came in the cost per visit is infinite? If a zillion people came in the cost goes to zilch?
In actual fact, it costs money to run an emergency room whether anyone uses it or not. The true cost when someone comes in, waits two hours, and leaves with a prescription for Amoxicillin, is pretty close to zilch. particularly when the ER people spend most of their time doing paperwork about the visit rather than diagnosing and treating the patient.
Accounting is important in any real business. Accurate accounting tells management where the money is going to and coming from, which management needs to know if it is going to work on reducing out go and increasing income. Ideally the doctors and nurses would fill out time cards, charging their time to each patient served. Today they could use an app on their smart phones, just swipe the patient's wrist band against the phone and punch "start". Punch "done" as they leave the patient's bedside.
Been thinking about that. Just how expensive is an emergency room visit, really? Wanna bet the hospital takes the total cost of running an emergency room divided by the number of patients served? Which is a cute statistic but it doesn't mean anything. Like if zero patients came in the cost per visit is infinite? If a zillion people came in the cost goes to zilch?
In actual fact, it costs money to run an emergency room whether anyone uses it or not. The true cost when someone comes in, waits two hours, and leaves with a prescription for Amoxicillin, is pretty close to zilch. particularly when the ER people spend most of their time doing paperwork about the visit rather than diagnosing and treating the patient.
Accounting is important in any real business. Accurate accounting tells management where the money is going to and coming from, which management needs to know if it is going to work on reducing out go and increasing income. Ideally the doctors and nurses would fill out time cards, charging their time to each patient served. Today they could use an app on their smart phones, just swipe the patient's wrist band against the phone and punch "start". Punch "done" as they leave the patient's bedside.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
More thoughts on John Boehner
I'm listening to some pundit saying that Boehner didn't fight hard enough for something or other. He was too ready to compromise.
There speaks a pundit with his head wedged.
Speaker of the House has just his own single vote. To get anything passed, he needs to get 51% of reps to vote for it. Which means that 51% has to like the speaker, trust the speaker, and go along with the speaker even when their constituents may not agree. The speaker cannot go about offending people by constantly fighting over issues, he has to be seen as fair, unbiased, and trustworthy. If he throws his weight around, he pisses people off, and then he won't have the votes next time he needs them.
Given the deep differences inside the Republican party, and the differences with the Democrats, I think Boehner has done the best that can be done. There is only so much that oil poured on troubled waters can do. I'm sorry to see him go.
I wish his successor, whom ever that may be, the best possible luck. He is gonna need it.
There speaks a pundit with his head wedged.
Speaker of the House has just his own single vote. To get anything passed, he needs to get 51% of reps to vote for it. Which means that 51% has to like the speaker, trust the speaker, and go along with the speaker even when their constituents may not agree. The speaker cannot go about offending people by constantly fighting over issues, he has to be seen as fair, unbiased, and trustworthy. If he throws his weight around, he pisses people off, and then he won't have the votes next time he needs them.
Given the deep differences inside the Republican party, and the differences with the Democrats, I think Boehner has done the best that can be done. There is only so much that oil poured on troubled waters can do. I'm sorry to see him go.
I wish his successor, whom ever that may be, the best possible luck. He is gonna need it.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
What John Boehner's replacement ought to do
Once elected that is.
No more "continuing resolutions" no more "omnibus spending bills, no more"one-big-fund-everything" bills. From here on in, we will pass single bills, one to fund each Federal government activity. A defense bill, a highway bill, Justice department bill, a FAA bill, a HHS bill, a Homeland Security bill, and so on.
This is the way it was done from George Washington's time down to very recently. Recently something fell thru the cracks and the necessary appropriation bills were not passed. When the end of the fiscal year came up, Congress would pass a stop gap to keep the government running. One huge stop gap. And they are still doing it.
Trouble with the one-big-funds-everything bill is it gives every special interest group enormous leverage to get their pet gravy train funded. Fund us or we vote against the bill and the entire government takes a hit. Today it's the Planned Parenthood special interests. Tomorrow it will be some one else. I forget who was threatening government shutdown last time. When everything depends upon a single bill passing, it isn't too hard to threaten to stop it.
If we went back to doing it the right way, the special interest groups would have less leverage. Assuming Planned Parenthood funding comes out of HHS, all the special interests could do is threaten passage of the HHS funding. Which doesn't have nearly the punch of threatening a government shut down.
You would think you could find enough Congress Critters to do this. Weakening the special interests would pass control back to elected Congressmen. Right now, the Congressmen have to vote the one-big-spending-bill thru. They don't get a chance to amend things, or bargain, all they can do is vote for it. Plus, the entire federal budget is so vast, and so complicated that no one understands it. Whereas a Congressman has a chance to learn a smaller piece of it, defense say, fairly well. Knowing where the bodies are buried, a Congressman can insist on changes in the bill before the vote. With a one-big-funding-bill nobody knows it well enough to make any changes. So all the agencies will get what they got last year, plus an inflation booster, and things go on, Federal spending rises, and unnecessary activities get funded, just 'cause they got funded last year.
No more "continuing resolutions" no more "omnibus spending bills, no more"one-big-fund-everything" bills. From here on in, we will pass single bills, one to fund each Federal government activity. A defense bill, a highway bill, Justice department bill, a FAA bill, a HHS bill, a Homeland Security bill, and so on.
This is the way it was done from George Washington's time down to very recently. Recently something fell thru the cracks and the necessary appropriation bills were not passed. When the end of the fiscal year came up, Congress would pass a stop gap to keep the government running. One huge stop gap. And they are still doing it.
Trouble with the one-big-funds-everything bill is it gives every special interest group enormous leverage to get their pet gravy train funded. Fund us or we vote against the bill and the entire government takes a hit. Today it's the Planned Parenthood special interests. Tomorrow it will be some one else. I forget who was threatening government shutdown last time. When everything depends upon a single bill passing, it isn't too hard to threaten to stop it.
If we went back to doing it the right way, the special interest groups would have less leverage. Assuming Planned Parenthood funding comes out of HHS, all the special interests could do is threaten passage of the HHS funding. Which doesn't have nearly the punch of threatening a government shut down.
You would think you could find enough Congress Critters to do this. Weakening the special interests would pass control back to elected Congressmen. Right now, the Congressmen have to vote the one-big-spending-bill thru. They don't get a chance to amend things, or bargain, all they can do is vote for it. Plus, the entire federal budget is so vast, and so complicated that no one understands it. Whereas a Congressman has a chance to learn a smaller piece of it, defense say, fairly well. Knowing where the bodies are buried, a Congressman can insist on changes in the bill before the vote. With a one-big-funding-bill nobody knows it well enough to make any changes. So all the agencies will get what they got last year, plus an inflation booster, and things go on, Federal spending rises, and unnecessary activities get funded, just 'cause they got funded last year.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Should be inflicted upon telemarketers and political callers who ring my phone but don't answer when I pick up. Tar and feathers. Boiling in oil. Stuff like that.
Pope Francis does good
The Pope has been getting all day coverage on cable TV. I seen him at the White House, saying Mass, at Congress, at the UN. Everywhere the TV shows massive crowds, come from far away, just to see the Pope in person, live and not on TV. The Pope's saturation TV coverage has complete eclipsed the visit of China's president. China is an important country and its president visiting the US ought to be newsworthy, but the Pope has "sucked all the oxygen out of the room", to borrow an overworked cliche from the TV newsies. The Pope is getting better TV coverage than the Donald.
What to make of this? Well, the vast crowds of believers indicate that God is alive and well in the United States. Even among Protestants, the Pope commands enormous respect. The sight of huge crowds, attending services in massive churches, sited on prime city real estate, shows there is loads of support among the citizens for both Catholicism and the Protestant churches. Many Protestant churches have veered off into either extreme liberalism or intense fundamentalism, adopting stances beloved of their pastors but awfully way out for many members. At this time, the Catholic Church teachings are a moderate mainstream view point broadly acceptable to many Americans, which gives the Pope even more importance than he ordinarily would have.
I heard Obama say something like "This church contributes to the strength of America." Which is very true, although I expect churchmen shuddered at hearing this. Good churchmen think in terms of strengthening their church and bringing their parishioners into a better relationship with God, rather than contributing to the strength and power of a secular nation-state. Certainly the Christian teaching that all men are brothers does a lot for good for civil order, loyalty to country, and reduces enmity in the society. This are all good things.
What to make of this? Well, the vast crowds of believers indicate that God is alive and well in the United States. Even among Protestants, the Pope commands enormous respect. The sight of huge crowds, attending services in massive churches, sited on prime city real estate, shows there is loads of support among the citizens for both Catholicism and the Protestant churches. Many Protestant churches have veered off into either extreme liberalism or intense fundamentalism, adopting stances beloved of their pastors but awfully way out for many members. At this time, the Catholic Church teachings are a moderate mainstream view point broadly acceptable to many Americans, which gives the Pope even more importance than he ordinarily would have.
I heard Obama say something like "This church contributes to the strength of America." Which is very true, although I expect churchmen shuddered at hearing this. Good churchmen think in terms of strengthening their church and bringing their parishioners into a better relationship with God, rather than contributing to the strength and power of a secular nation-state. Certainly the Christian teaching that all men are brothers does a lot for good for civil order, loyalty to country, and reduces enmity in the society. This are all good things.
Thursday, September 24, 2015
Volkswagen, microprocessor scams, and NOx
The great Volkswagen emissions scam is breaking big. They canned the CEO of Volkswagen yesterday over the matter. Apparently, the microprocessor in the diesel VW's was able to sense when the car was undergoing an EPA emissions test and adjust something to make the engine run cleaner. Sensing when the car is being tested isn't all that hard, if the engine is revving up above idle but the car isn't moving, it's on a test stand getting tested. The anti skid sensors on each wheel will let the microprocessor know if the wheel is turning. Unless all four wheels are turning, the car isn't moving and it doesn't take great programming skill to make a few adjustments to engine operation.
Just what the microprocessor can do on a diesel is less clear to me. Diesels don't have ignition systems (spark plugs) so there is no ignition timing to fiddle with. There is the fuel air mixture, I suppose setting the mixture extra lean will spoil the combustion, lower combustion temperatures, which reduces the "NOx" emissions. It also ruins fuel economy and power output. In engines, running hotter give you more power and better fuel mileage.
It could be the problem is the US standards for nitrogen oxide ("NOx") emissions. The air is 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. Heat air up enough and the nitrogen and oxygen go together in various combinations, NO2, N2O4, etc. The temperature inside the cylinders of an engine as hot enough to form "NOx". The is the basis of the famous Haber process for making "fixed nitrogen" for fertilizer and explosives. Plants need fixed nitrogen, ("NOx") and cannot make it them selves. Another fact from freshman chemistry, All nitrates are soluble. Which means all the "NOx" in the air will come down in the rain and fertilize the fields.
So why is "NOx" called a pollutant? Partly because the EPA likes to call as much stuff pollutants as it can because it gives them more areas to throw their weight around. In the case of "NOx" the source of LA smog was found to be a combination of "NOx" and oily hydrocarbon vapors, unburned gasoline. Under the impulse of sunlight the two chemicals will combine and make smog. The correct solution would have been to clamp down on unburned hydrocarbons, all sources of which represent poor engine performance or leaks and spills. Without any unburned hydrocarbons, you can have all the NOx in the air you want and not get smog.
Well, the EPA didn't do that, they are off on a "NOx" kick, have been for 40 years. And it hurts. Diesel is more efficent that spark ignition engines. In Europe half the automobile fleet is diesel. In the US nobody drives a diesel. Reason? US "NOx" standards are much tighter than they are in Europe. Apparently the only way to get a diesel car to pass US emissions tests was to cheat, which is apparently Volkswagen's solution to the problem.
It's time to have a public debate on "NOx" standards.
Just what the microprocessor can do on a diesel is less clear to me. Diesels don't have ignition systems (spark plugs) so there is no ignition timing to fiddle with. There is the fuel air mixture, I suppose setting the mixture extra lean will spoil the combustion, lower combustion temperatures, which reduces the "NOx" emissions. It also ruins fuel economy and power output. In engines, running hotter give you more power and better fuel mileage.
It could be the problem is the US standards for nitrogen oxide ("NOx") emissions. The air is 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen. Heat air up enough and the nitrogen and oxygen go together in various combinations, NO2, N2O4, etc. The temperature inside the cylinders of an engine as hot enough to form "NOx". The is the basis of the famous Haber process for making "fixed nitrogen" for fertilizer and explosives. Plants need fixed nitrogen, ("NOx") and cannot make it them selves. Another fact from freshman chemistry, All nitrates are soluble. Which means all the "NOx" in the air will come down in the rain and fertilize the fields.
So why is "NOx" called a pollutant? Partly because the EPA likes to call as much stuff pollutants as it can because it gives them more areas to throw their weight around. In the case of "NOx" the source of LA smog was found to be a combination of "NOx" and oily hydrocarbon vapors, unburned gasoline. Under the impulse of sunlight the two chemicals will combine and make smog. The correct solution would have been to clamp down on unburned hydrocarbons, all sources of which represent poor engine performance or leaks and spills. Without any unburned hydrocarbons, you can have all the NOx in the air you want and not get smog.
Well, the EPA didn't do that, they are off on a "NOx" kick, have been for 40 years. And it hurts. Diesel is more efficent that spark ignition engines. In Europe half the automobile fleet is diesel. In the US nobody drives a diesel. Reason? US "NOx" standards are much tighter than they are in Europe. Apparently the only way to get a diesel car to pass US emissions tests was to cheat, which is apparently Volkswagen's solution to the problem.
It's time to have a public debate on "NOx" standards.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Hillary comes out against Keystone XL
She offered no reasons for her newish stand. She called the project a "distraction". Which means nothing. Since she offers no reasons for her new public stand, I gotta think it's politics. She is appealing to the party's greenies, at the expense of the unions. Unions like Keystone XL 'cause it will employ a million of their members, which is important to unions. Obviously she thinks there are more greenie votes out there than there are union votes.
I wonder who does Hillary's polling and did they get this right? Somehow I think there are more union people (union members and their families) out there than card carrying Sierra Club greenies. I might be wrong, but so might Hillary.
Maybe some union people will see the light and vote Republican.
I wonder who does Hillary's polling and did they get this right? Somehow I think there are more union people (union members and their families) out there than card carrying Sierra Club greenies. I might be wrong, but so might Hillary.
Maybe some union people will see the light and vote Republican.
Redcoats take the White House
Putting on the dog for Pope Francis at the White House. The marching unit, the only marching unit, was Redcoat, fifes, drums, tri cornered hats and all.
God Save the Queen.
Long Live the Anglosphere.
God Save the Queen.
Long Live the Anglosphere.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Joint, the new magic word
At least in the armed services. We have a Joint Strike Fighter, a joint combat pistol, joint this, joint that, all in the name of interservice cooperation.
Now the TV is calling the traditional and long standing Andrews Air Force Base by the new name of Joint Base Andrews. That's a new one on me. Wonder when that started. And who started it.
Anyhow they put on a pretty good show for the Pope's arrival. Obama and family and Biden were on the ramp to greet the pope. There are few visitors so important that the president goes out to the airfield to greet them. Anyhow, the Pope should have gotten the impression that the Americans are glad to see him.
Now the TV is calling the traditional and long standing Andrews Air Force Base by the new name of Joint Base Andrews. That's a new one on me. Wonder when that started. And who started it.
Anyhow they put on a pretty good show for the Pope's arrival. Obama and family and Biden were on the ramp to greet the pope. There are few visitors so important that the president goes out to the airfield to greet them. Anyhow, the Pope should have gotten the impression that the Americans are glad to see him.
Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) Again
Aviation Week had another piece on this aircraft, so the topic is still alive. Didn't say anything about the aircraft, or the mission, just some talk about where it is in the procurement process. Interesting if you are a company guy thinking of bidding on part of it, but not much for us plane watchers.
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