the Long and winding blog

24% Affected by Gov't Shutdown - that is a problem...

2011-04-06T13:13:00.000-06:00

WSJ ran a poll today on how much the upcoming gov't shutdown would affect your personal life - the results are staggering...
How much would a government shutdown due to a budget impasse affect your life?

24% said that the effect would be 'a lot'. Considering the readership demographics of the WSJ, this is really scary numbers. How far reaching has the US Government grown to seriously affect 24% of the population? We have found the problem Houston!

the State of White America....a dialogue worth listening to....

2011-04-05T18:22:00.000-06:00

................yes I watch C-Span and you are missing some interesting in-depth dialogue if you don't. Network news (yes, including Fox) is a constant stream of how the other party/group/etc is a ba*tard and to be feared. Open dialogue is sorely missing in American Politics these days.
American Enterprise Institute sponsored a speech by Charles Murray on 'the State of White America' where you can watch here. I think it was a brilliant move to remove the minorities - it eliminated much of the claims of discrimination that his highly controversial book, the Bell Curve recieved.
He really does a good job of describing how the white classes are (or not) changing:

the following list was stolen from Steve Sailers Blog:
To avoid apples to oranges comparisons, Murray is focusing his analysis of increasing class divides on non-Hispanic whites ages 30-49, contrasting the upper 20% (the upper middle class) to the bottom 30% (the working class)....

- For example, the being-married rate among upper middle class whites has fallen only trivially from 88% in 1960 to 83% in 2010. Among the bottom 30%, however, the being-married rate has dropped from 83% to 48%.
- Among the bottom 30% of whites, the illegitimacy rate was 6% in 1960 and approaching 50% in 2010.
- Among white men in their 30s and 40s, in 1960 1.5% of the top 20% were out of the workforce (i.e., working or looking for work) and 2% now. For white men in the bottom 30%, looking at the economic peaks in 1968 and 2008, the non-working rate went from 5% to 12%. The out-of-the-labor rate is even worse now during the recession, of course.
- Among working class men with jobs, the percent working less than 40 hours per week went from 13% to 21%.
- Crime victimizes the bottom ranks of society. One of the dirty little secrets of the last 50 years is that upper middle class suburbs weren't dangerous in 1960 and they aren't dangerous now.
- A substantial majority of the upper middle class retains effective religious involvement, while a substantial majority of the white working class does not. It's another case of data not matching popular impressions. ... Among those with a religion, fundamentalism is increasing. But, actual religious involvement in the working class is plummeting.

He points to the 1960's as major inflection point in America and it's effects are still being written today - makes me want to review Libertarian viewpoints as a potential place for my own beliefs.

Convincing that fact is fact...

2011-03-21T16:13:00.000-06:00

Visited airport bookstore and thought I would look in the Science/evolution area to see if anything new was available. I counted 9 books (in a small bookstore), all of which supported the view of evolution/non-creationism. Why, if evolution is a fact that ALL scientists believe in, are they still churning out books supporting it? Do you still see books supporting a round earth theory?
Because it is a religion....... and they must convert the few of us that just don't know better. An earth that has purpose and design behind it is a world that many do not want to believe in - it upsets their worldview dramatically. Actually, it reminds me of religious writers writing to the believers - too much of it in my opinion.

Observing while Travelling

2011-03-21T16:01:00.000-06:00

Why do Stewardesses get better seat belts than passengers? Are they more important? You also believe that cop killers should get a harsher judgement because officers of the law are higher value?
Why do wheelchairs keep getting bigger and bigger.....?
When arriving late at night, why do airplanes park at the end of the terminal when all of the closer ones are empty?
Why is WIFI OK now on Southwest when it used to be so dangerous? Was it a big technology advance or the new 5$ charge?
Lee's Unwritten Flying rule #1: He who sits in the middle seat owns both armrests.
Southwest Airlines; where every passenger is equal unless of course you pay extra for Business select and get to board first.
Do you really trust those in the exit row to assist you in getting off the plane in an emergency? The two minute training should adequately prepare them, right?
I don't carry on luggage, laptop bag only. Why don't I get rewarded?
Lee's Unwritten Flying rule #2: If you can't stow your own luggage overhead, check it.
Why do people in wheelchairs have a suitcase on their lap as they are helped through the concourse? If anyone should check luggage....
Where did de-plane come from? - we don't de-car,,,,de-boat.....
FAA just pulled all oxygen masks out of plane toilets...Always wanted to die with my pants around my ankles, btw, what was the security risk?
Not allowed to line up in front of the loo anymore on planes...how do you queue now? A new button next to the attendant button?
Why do seatmates tell everything to a perfect stranger? What about an airplane cabin forces this unusual behaviour?
Ever think that all US security changes have been re-active? I always argue when someone in the security line tells me that they don't like it but it is necessary and worth it. All of the current procedures started AFTER the breach.... like the shoe bomb. What happens if someone stows something up their rectum?
Stay Observant......it passes the time

Enough money for Satellite TV but....not energy

2011-03-21T15:36:00.001-06:00

Bought a house end of January, house was only five years old! While this was a conventional sale, IMHO a short sale was just months away.
Issues included:

Leaking Sprinkler System
Toilet running all the time
HVAC Filter completely clogged

and a nice new satellite dish antennae on the fence.....

While I have never been a tree hugger, energy savings just seemed to me a smart thing to do, especially when money is tight. President Obama was right when he concluded that Americans could save a lot of energy (read, reduce living costs) if we just worked on our own homes - a sort of victory garden for this generation. Unfortunately his approach had the government run it ...and were given a 7,500$ credit to buy a 45,000$ Chevy Volt, aggghhhhhh!
Why can't we address the high energy users? - use a distribution curve to focus on the highest users and put text messages (notification) and market escalators in place to encourage better behaviour. My Verizon wireless aircard has this and you can bet I monitor it closely - but monitoring energy usage is difficult - is this a barrier to lower energy usage?

NPR Has Less Fresh Aire Now

2010-10-21T18:35:00.001-06:00

NPR Fired Juan Williams for comments he made this week on Fox Opinion show - here is my letter to the NPR Ombudsman on the subject:
I have been an active listener for many years but do not understand the mess your CEO/Network has created around this incident. Juan is an analyst and should be entitled to his opinions - and his were always very clear and I thought unbiased - he was a breath of 'fresh air' on your station that tends to feed liberal listeners. As to Juan's comments - I am reminded of Joe Sobran's words: “But most prejudices aren’t created by official doctrines; they result from popular experience and the slow spreading of a group’s reputation. The first gypsy I ever met — on a street in Rome — grabbed a wad of money out of my hand. I’d been too naive to be wary of her, though my companions had warned me against her.”
Juan is saying what we all feel (I am a million miler on United Airlines) but cannot verbalize for reasons which NPR has demonstrated this week. I will listen very carefully now to NPR to try and hear the views that have been silenced.

WIKI Meets the Scientists

2010-10-21T17:26:00.000-06:00

Wikipedia has addressed an issue around its Global Warning Articles by removing an editor that had a decidedly biased view in favor of climate change. While Wikipedia is the seventh most popular website in use, you must be careful in using it for reference (note; most colleges will not allow Wiki references). I am particularly careful when an issue is one that still has people on extreme sides arguing the merits of their views - obviously climate change is one. The good news is that Wiki has acted (after many people complaining); the bad news is that this took two years - not the model of speedy changes/updates that everyone touts as an example of why Wiki is better than the Encyclopedia Britannica. Also, remember that Wiki levels the playing field with true experts and dummies gaining the same editing rights - again, the community should clean this up over time unless there is a group with a biased view and a religious ferver - read, Global Warming Believers....
but, if all of this is settled science/fact why do these people keep trying to convert the unwashed masses?
Meanwhile, I will continue using Wiki for quick checks in non-controversial areas and do further study in the other areas. This is a Readers Digest for people who can't read!!

The Federal Gov't Takeover of the West

2010-10-09T16:10:00.000-06:00

While many are concerned about the federal takeover of the banks, health care, auto industry, college loans, and mortgage loans, you might want to add dirt....land to that list. The federal government owns over 26% of all of the land in America or 1 million square miles. That probably does not affect you much if you don't live in the west where the federal government really likes to acquire land; no state in the west is under 30% owned. Nevada is 84% owned and California is 45% owned! Why aren't they purchasing land in NY where they only own less than 1%? Is it bad land? 1.3$ Trillion in debt and yet we keep acquiring land that the government is woefully inadequate in managing. And....They usually do the worse possible thing after acquiring the land; they immediately block all access and use of it. Time to get out of the land business and even sell some of it to worthy groups who will make it productive. Watch for more of the land grab, each president and congress loves to leave as it legacy a huge land 'set aside' - what exactly is it being set aside for? Is Detroit for sale yet?

Remember, that many states acquire as much land as the federal government (someone once told me that Arizona has only 10% of its land privately held). If you want to really see a complete picture, look at the Arizona map below; the white area represents the only part that is private ownership!

Joe Sobran, May his words live forever

2010-10-06T22:57:00.002-06:00

Ever read someone who just had a great gift of putting things into words that really cause you pause ...and admiration?
Joe Sobran was one - National Review Writer - passed away Sept 30, 2010
you can find archives of some of his own newsletter articles here
.....for once, I will let the Joe (the writer) express it in his own words:

“But most prejudices aren’t created by official doctrines; they result from popular experience and the slow spreading of a group’s reputation. The first gypsy I ever met — on a street in Rome — grabbed a wad of money out of my hand. I’d been too naive to be wary of her, though my companions had warned me against her.”

"Despite all the rhetoric of bigotry that assails us these days, it just isn't that easy to hate indiscriminately. In fact such hatred seems unnatural — or, if you prefer, idiosyncratic. But some people find a strange moral satisfaction in positing a ubiquitous "hate," usually against "minorities" of one sort or another. And of course this "hate" requires the state to take various actions to protect the alleged victims, to make reparations, to reeducate the bigoted public, and finally to "eradicate" the proscribed attitudes."

New York Times headline: "New York Destroyed by Earthquake; Women and Minorities Hit Hardest."

"your enemies can never hurt you, only your friends can."

"Freedom has ceased to be a birthright; it has come to mean whatever we are still permitted to do."

"Christ never preached anything as mushy and undefined as tolerance, let alone Kinsey-style tolerance. He taught mercy, patience, charity — which cover a lot of ground, but are a long way from Kinseyland. He also condemned divorce, adultery, and even looking at women with lust. Pretty intolerant, according to the Latest Thinking."

"Of all the apocryphal sayings ascribed to our Founding Fathers, my favorite is one attributed to George Washington: "Government is not reason. It is not persuasion. It is force." If he never said it, he should have.
Everyone who believes in a moral order should ponder those eleven words. Government is indeed force, force claiming justification, and its exercise at least requires some serious reason.
In Michael Oakeshott's famous observation, to some people government appears as "a vast reservoir of power" which inspires them to dream of the uses that might be made of it, often in the service of what they take to be benign purposes, for the good of "mankind." Yet such people typically gloss over the element of power, which, after all, is not a mere property of government but its very essence."

"Your chances of meeting an IRS agent are far greater than your chances of meeting anyone you voted for."

"If you want to know how wise and honest a man is, observe how much he is willing to credit to his opponents."

"If our furry and scaly friends were still evolving, none of them appeared to be gaining on us."

"A silly old adage has it that you should never argue about politics and religion. But as G.K. Chesterton retorted, politics and religion are the only subjects worth arguing about."

and Joe on his own words....
"I note that my enemies have written a great deal about me, yet they rarely quote me directly. Why not? If I am so disreputable myself, I must at least occasionally say disreputable things. Is it possible that what I say is more cogent than they like to admit?"

the office of Politically Based Ministries

2010-09-24T21:17:00.001-06:00

Some of us were happy that President Obama continued President Bush's Office of Faith Based Ministry, but many also thought this was a clear violation of separation of church and state.
The vision of this group is to: form partnerships between the Federal Government and faith-based and neighborhood organizations to more effectively serve Americans in need.

So today, I was surprised to learn that (WSJ):
Tuesday President Obama and his director of faith-based initiatives convened exactly such a meeting to try to control political damage from the unpopular health-care law. "Get out there and spread the word," Politico.com reported the president as saying on a conference call with leaders of faith-based and community groups. "I think all of you can be really important validators and trusted resources for friends and neighbors, to help explain what's now available to them."
This was not the first time, in March of this year his deputy director of FBM approved a list of recommendations that included this one:
Bringing the power of 370,000 houses of worship across the country to the fight of climate change by greening buildings and promoting environmental stewardship in their congregations.

Well, depends on what your definition of Americans in Need is......and no separation needed when the sermon is on climate change?
In hindsight, should we have even approved this office? - is this what government should be doing regardless of who is President (your person or mine)?

Parables on Steroids

2010-09-24T13:49:00.000-06:00

Friend Scott recommended this book; The Organized Heretic, by author Peter Rollins.
It is a small book of 'twisted' parables/tales that you can pick up and read (individual tales) in a few minutes. Some tales have a short commentary following the tale to assist you in thinking through the thoughts with the authors comments - ignore these if you want. These would make a great outline for a sermon or small group study/discussion.
One of the tales is titled the same as the book; it is a tale of a man who refuses to turn over a stranger to the local priests who believes he is a criminal wanted by a neighboring town. Both the priests and the man then pray to God who tells them that the priests are correct; the man then defies God with His own words that demand him to look after the man - God then tells the priest that if He can't convince the man, neither will they - He ends with telling him that they need to leave him in peace.
I am always intrigued with a man who would argue with God - the bible has many stories of similar discussions with God but many leaders today believe this is never to be attempted - lightning will strike! I happen to believe that God is getting bored because of this. I noted that Frank Schaeffer (son of Francis) wrote a recommendation on this book - another controversial author. This book will make you think....enjoyed - thanks Scott!

BTW, What is a parable?
Wikipedia comes through:
A parable is a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human characters. It is a type of analogy.
...a parable's parallel meaning is unspoken and implicit, though not ordinarily secret.

How Much More do we Need?

2010-09-16T16:27:00.000-06:00

I am really impressed with the Interactive Graphics section of the WSJ - we need more people putting facts together into easily digestible chunks. While studying one they did on the major US benefits programs, I was amazed at how much spending (primarily aimed at the poorest/neediest in our country) has increased over the last 30 years.
Using the data, I extracted the numbers (in billions$) to compare 1980 with 2010:

	1980	2010	Change:
SS	270	590	119%
GI Bill	6.4	9.7	52%
Nutrition	9.35	17.3	85%
Disability	39.7	124	212%
Food Stamp	24.1	72.5	201%
Medicare	89.8	529	489%
Medicaid	36.9	275	645%
Pell Grants	13.5	45.3	236%
Black Lung	4.73	0.51	-89%
Housing	14.2	68.3	381%
Supp Security	15.2	44	189%
WIC	1.9	7.7	305%
EITC	3.37	49.5	1369%
Energy	4.17	4.99	20%
Welfare	18.3	22.5	23%
CHIP	-	-
Total:	551.62	1860.3	237%

So, in the last 30 years we have developed many huge programs, increased all of them (except Black Lung) by a total of 237% and poverty has gone from 12% in 1980 to 14% in 2010. If this was presented in the board rooms of most private companies in this country, all of the leadership would be fired! Do we need further proof that spending is not working?
Or could it also be that all of these benefits are not included in the income counted when determining the poverty level - yes.......

Am I in Poverty?

2010-09-16T11:52:00.000-06:00

The Federal Government just released updated poverty statistics that showed a large increase - now 14% of Americans (43 million) live in poverty! In reading the various news reports, none seemed to tell me what the metric was? How little income does it take to be in poverty? After a bit of research, turns out an annual income of 21,756$ per year (1813$/month) for a family of four will put you in the poverty statistics.

Unfortunately, this income does not measure the non-cash income that this family might receive:
Income:                    1813$/month or 21,756$/yr
Food Stamps:             668/month     (max)
Housing Assistance:    600/month
Medicaid:                    ???
Tax Credits:                 ???
Total Income             $36,972 before Medicaid and any tax credits
I am not suggesting that these families are not struggling in making a living, but as usual, the news orgs are not telling you the full truth. In addition, it lumps many older people in this category even though they may have a car and house completely paid off and are drawing on a savings account.   While we will have a new metric in 2011 that will address some of these issues, this is a metric that has lost all meaning/worthiness. Some have suggested using consumption as a metric - truly poor people almost always spend less on consumption - I support this.
I have also seen the same reporting in churches who post salaries of their pastors; these numbers often leave out tax benefits, housing allowances (which are very generous), car allowances, book allowances, etc.
When you tell me that 43 million American people live in poverty, tell me what this really means? - I suspect that many don't want to hear that people living in poverty can make 36K$/year. On my next trip to the barrios in Mexico, I will try and explain that to be poor in the US means you only have 36K$/year to spend - suspect I may not be able to get this across.....

Half Broke Horses...one more

2010-09-14T11:10:00.000-06:00

Devoured the book 'Half Broke Horses' (Jeannette Walls, Simon and Schuster) in one day. Incredible story of a Woman that let nothing get in her way in the early west. She traveled by horseback 500 miles to her first teaching job - and slept on the the floor of the school at night. Should be required reading for all young girls.
One of the few books I have read recently that has these little sentences that cause you pause when you finish them. For example, a flood destroyed their dugout house on the prairie - it also washed away the foundation of a nearby house, after which the owner gave up and returned back east. They quickly carted away all of the timber from the house and built them a new house to replace the washed out dugout one. After finishing it, her Mom asked the question, "Now, wasn't that God's will?". The next sentence said what I have always felt but can't say in church; "I didn't have an answer. Mom could say that in hindsight, but it seemed to me that when you were in the middle of something, it was awful hard to figure out what part of it was God's will and what wasn't." I also enjoyed her housekeeping on the ranch; fixed steak and beans every night, never washed the work Levi's (wore them out) and cleaned house once a quarter. Negatives? 15$ Paperbook!

History of the World before Man, Six Pages of Riviting Reading

2010-09-03T21:38:00.000-06:00

Steven Hawking has co-wrote another book repeating his tired dogma that there is/was no God. WSJ has a quick article on it today - written by Hawking. Not sure who he is still trying to convince since we all know the science is irrefutable? His great contribution is the following, "the laws of gravity and quantum theory allow universes to appear spontaneously from nothing." I have often observed that for all of the science we have been given on the evolution of Man, the History of the World before Man is extremely lacking. Give me a tome that spends chapters discussing the Big Bang, the primordial soup, the DNA and where it came from and who programmed it and include numerous pictures of all of the fossils of the evolutionary rejects. Criticizing HG Wells' secular bias and his belief in evolution by means of natural selection, a theory that had been completely discredited, asserted Belloc, his review of Wells’ epic ‘Outline of History’ noted that it was a powerful and well-written volume, "up until the appearance of Man, that is, somewhere around page seven."
A universe appeared from nothing and we have six pages?

How would you like a book with that free App?

2010-08-26T10:37:00.000-06:00

Friends Joe/Danny told me about a Craigslist app so I took a few minutes to download this morning - uh oh, iTunes (again) stopped me in the middle (not when I opened the app store, btw!) and asked me to approve its new user agreement/book. This agreement seems to get updated every month and it is 55 pages long!!!!!! Full employment act for a team of lawyers, I suspect. Who really reads these before they approve? Probably signed away my firstborn but I don't have time for this.....
What was I looking for on Craigslist, btw......?

Lots of Cash and the Economy is not Growing

2010-08-23T10:22:00.002-06:00

Think corporate America is in dire straits? - they (Non-financial, Std&Poors 500) are sitting on a record 2 Trillion US$ right now! There are only a few options; retain cash for hard times, give it in stock dividends, buy-back stock, buy down debt, and finally spend it on growth . Interestingly enough, they are doing all of the above except spending it on growth. Buy back of stock creates a better balance sheet (eps) and to the ill-informed looks like the company is doing better. It certainly makes the investors happier; dividends are even better because of the immediate cash investors receive (What will happen when dividends are taxed later this year, as the plan currently calls for?). Ever wonder why even in this bad economy, some stocks are still rising? Now you know some of the reasons. The real growth will happen when companies invest this cash in growth; new products, expansions, research, etc. What will precipitate this? Confidence and some increased predictability - unintended consequences of all of the legislation this year is putting corporate America in a wait and see mode, where will health/insurance, taxes, financial regulations, elections, environmental rules, consumer protection take us? They are on a tour bus just gaping out the window at the great canyon stretched out before them, keeping their growth ticket clinched tightly in their hand - they really won't step into the canyon until they see some predictable way in.....and our leadership is doing nothing to help them. Legislation that promises details to come later only further aggravate the investment decisions.
It does represent a lot of under-utilized capital that is just sitting there waiting for the right time; even a fourth of that capital (500B$) could provide 14 Million jobs (35K$/year). We need leadership to step up and provide the clarity businesses need to get this country growing again. But my retirement fund loves the increased share price , the dividends and the cash on the balance sheet.......capitalism is not always clean is it? Graph below courtesy of the WSJ, 08/23/2010

Google Maliciously Changing Search Results?

2010-08-14T11:08:00.000-06:00

Immediately after Oracle announced that is was suing Google over their use of Java, someone at Google changed the search results to exclude Oracle from showing in the results (fixed same day by someone with more common sense). This is amazing for a company that proclaims it wants "To Do No Wrong". Google's searches are no less than a utility; think of the power company removing a company from the power grid after it had sued the utility for a rate increase! Does anyone have any common sense anymore?
Full Disclosure - I worked for Sun and was laid off by Oracle on the first day they owned Sun! I have no love for Oracle or especially Larry Ellison - however, wrong is wrong.....

Violence in Mexico - where?

2010-08-14T10:48:00.002-06:00

The media is doing a bang-up job telling us how dangerous Mexico is by publishing awful stories of the seemingly daily violence. I am intrigued by it because I take frequent trips to Mexico (Puerto Penasco) and do not experience it - what gives? Most of the issues with the data is that it represents single data points with no comparison to what we are familiar with.
The stories often mention Mexican violence (which States?, Mexico is a large country), when most of it occurs in Chihuahua and Sinaloa - only two states out of 32. So, is US violence high or is it just New York and Illinois?
Also, in usual fashion (because journalists never take math classes), we seldom see relative numbers. Some analysts have said that violence in Chihuahua (highest level of violence in Mexico) is twice what Chicago is - bad but not as crazy as what the stories have portrayed....and, where are the stories on Chicago (or New Orleans) murder rate?
WSJ has a great interactive graphic that depicts the relative violence in Mexico by state (by drug family). Note that this is drug violence only - this is what most of the media is reporting on.
Mexico has issues with drug violence and they are serious - but examine the facts to know where and relative safety by location within this beautiful country.

PowerPoint from IKEA?

2010-08-05T19:56:00.002-06:00

I always like listening to the various TED speakers - while they seem to have a left tilt, I am always challenged by their topics/presentations. Really enjoyed Hans Rosling talking about population growth - while I don't fully agree with his views that raising living standards in poor countries directly lowers population, his presentation techniques are to be admired.
He built a graphical display out of some colored boxes courtesy of IKEA while adding some props of a model bicycle, car and airplane. The props allowed him to quickly move the boxes to show the changes over time as groups gain in wealth. It was easy to follow and kept the focus on him instead of switching back and forth between the screen and the speaker. I think more of us ought to try and use Powerpoint less and instead focus on what works best.....

Blacks Still Supporting Obama at over 90%

2010-08-05T18:42:00.002-06:00

Gallup distributed some new results of support for President Obama by race. The results are interesting; whites have dropped support from 61% to 39% since the start of his presidency. Blacks have averaged 93% support while never dropping below 90%. All other non-whites have declined in support also.
All subgroups tracked declined in support; political affiliation, marriage status, gender, region, age, ideology and education level. The question is obvious but no one in this race charged country will dare ask - Why has backing among blacks for Obama never wavered while every other group is withdrawing the election day support that swept him into office?
The easy answer would be that blacks almost always vote the straight Democratic ticket but Gallop debunked this by noting that support among white democrats has fallen off. They also added that Clinton was supported by blacks at a consistent 82%. What has Obama done to gain this high level of support from Blacks? The beer summit, the firing of Sherrod, healthcare, financial bill, stimulus, loss of charter schools in Washington DC, very high unemployment in the black communities (15.5%), .....? Certainly the healthcare promise seems to be the best candidate but nothing has kicked in yet leaving this WAP really confused! In light of the history of the black people, I opine that they are not going to give up on their first black US president very easily - many news reports highlighted their pride in his history making election. I think I am OK with this but believe they owe their communities to challenge him over specific black issues that are not improving in his term. Comments or are you afraid to touch this lightning rod? - what has happened to honest dialogue?

Tom Jones sings What?

2010-07-30T13:51:00.001-06:00

Tom Jones has just recorded a new album; Praise and Blame. Yes, the same Tom Jones who recorded Delilah, It's Not Unusual and Sex Bomb! This is very good lesson in not pigeon-holing artists into nice little compartments. This album showcases a mix of country, retro blues and spirituals with minimal background music which highlights Tom's voice which has aged well at 70 years. Cuts I especially liked were; Don't Knock (The Staple Singers), Burning Hell (John C Hooker), the hauntingly What Good Am I (Dylan) and Didn't It Rain (Mahalia Jackson). I was listening to this yesterday in the truck driving 70 mph down a Michigan country road - yes, the volume was cranked up....and I was happy......

Men need to Borrow Tools More Often

2010-07-29T10:29:00.001-06:00

Had a great time this week with my little brother who lives in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. My 88 year old father and I travelled down from Michigan to help him get a few cords of wood ready for the winter. My brother has almost every tool ever made because that is what MEN like to collect...and he has used them in various jobs over the years. While he had a Stihl chain saw and a Timberjack, he did not have his own log splitter. A real man would simply go to the local Tractor Supply Company and buy one! What he did instead was call up a friend (Sam) and ask him to bring his splitter over - which he did. We had a great time getting to know this unique individual and he helped the job get finished in one day. Lesson learned; borrowing tools brings great opportunities to meet new friends - buying a new tool may make you more of a man and impress the few friends you have but in my opinion, new friends are to be valued more!

Council of Presidents

2010-06-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

Latest book on my reading shelf is Council of Dad's, Bruce Feiler. I liked his advice that he believed ex-presidents (and one preacher) would give to his daughters as they grow up:

1. GEORGE WASHINGTON
Honesty is the best policy
When he stepped down from the presidency in 1797, George Washington never actually delivered his Farewell Address. Instead, he published it as a letter to “The People of the United States.” The speech is remembered for introducing the tradition of two terms for the president, warning against party squabbling, and advising against entangling alliances. But it’s most quoted line refers to personal conduct. “I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy.”
2. THOMAS JEFFERSON
Question with boldness
On August 10, 1787, while in Paris, Jefferson wrote a letter to his nephew Peter Carr. He advised in favor of studying Spanish (and against Italian). He advocated reading philosophy to improve conduct. And he wrote this about religion: “Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.”
3. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Avoid extremes
When he was 22 years old, Franklin wrote out thirteen virtues that he vowed to observe every day. He even typed up a chart and made a check besides each virtue he followed. The exercise lasted just under a month. Still, the virtues capture the essence of the American character he embodied. 1) TEMPERANCE – Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 2) RESOLUTION – Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. 3) MODERATION – Avoid extremes.
4. JOHN ADAMS
Dare to read, think, speak, and write
A decade before the Revolution, while a young lawyer in Boston, Adams wrote a series of articles about the beating heart of liberty in America. Later published as a book, the articles summoned Americans to let their minds lead them to freedom. “Let us become attentive to the grounds and principles of government ... Let us study the law of nature ... Let us tenderly and kindly cherish the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.”
5. GEORGE WHITEFIELD
Fight the good fight of faith
In a sermon on Ecclesiastes called “The Folly and Danger of Not Being Righteous Enough,” George Whitefield, the great Revolutionary champion of the Great Awakening, echoed Joshua as he conquered the Promised Land. “Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you. Fight the good fight of faith, and God will give you spiritual mercies.”

What can I add to this? - list is now my maxim to live by.....

We are in charge and doing everything right...

2010-05-27T11:45:00.001-06:00

I have observed that a crisis reveals much in a leaders ability to execute/manage - the Oil Leak crisis is again demonstrating the truth in this. President Obama just had his latest press release, the summary is really revealing:

No one from BP was on the stage with the President - this is not a team effort and in fact the relationship is dysfunctional with the administration leading the way with statements like, "we will keep our boot on BP's neck until they do everything we tell them too". My experience tells me that statements like this are best done in a private conference room and when they are made public, the 'team' is in trouble. 'Big Oil' has become the enemy to be attacked at every opportunity while we still need them to fuel our economy - the shift to alternative fuels will take years. BP has given clear statements that they believe they are responsible for the accident and will make reasonable restitution.
The government is in charge.....again, not a team process, especially when the government is unable to do almost anything to stop the leak - they are reduced to hiring 20,000 people in waders to clean oil washed up in the marshes. They have very little expertise and equipment and should acknowledge this - will a takeover of the oil business be next? President Obama did have the guts to say that BP had all of the technology and that it exceeded anything the government had in its arsenal.
This problem was here before my administration began - reminds me of children playing the blame game - a leader with integrity has three months to blame the last guy, and then it's his to deal with.
Day One, on the job - OK, we get that you were on this from day one - a good way to demonstrate this would be to insure the few decisions that the government can make are made asap - as in the barrier island and chemical use permission. Why are these decisions taking weeks?
and for my 30 second commercial - vote for cap and trade so that we can shift immediately to alternative fuels - never let a crisis go to waste. This is not the time to position legislation that does not address the current issue - stay focused on the crisis, there will be enough time for reflection later.

Which border is really practicing discrimination?

2010-05-19T21:13:00.005-06:00

Obama Gets Earful From Calderón

Mexican President Felipe Calderón used a rare state visit to the White House to denounce Arizona's new immigration law as "discriminatory" and called on the U.S. government to move on an overhaul of its immigration laws. 05/19/2010 WSJ

Mexico's President had the guts to call out the US for 'perceived' discrimination in Mexico's new immigration law (never mind that no case has been presented yet) while his own southern border with Guatemala is well known for very real discrimination and human rights abuses.

Note observations below from CSIS:

CSIS provides strategic insights and policy solutions to decision makers in government, international institutions, the private sector, and civil society.

The border between Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico is an overlooked American security and human rights concern, despite serving as a crucial passageway linking South and Central America to America’s southern neighbor. While much of the political pressure and concern over security in the U.S. focuses on its own southern border, greater attention and political cooperation should be directed further south to more effectively stem illegal activities and human rights abuses.

Drug and contraband trafficking aside, human trafficking and migrant smuggling create both security concerns as well as human rights abuses. The established border sites are used less and less for illegal crossing starting points, as resident gangs in cities on the Mexican side known as “Maras” have taken on the mantle of migrant hunters. Gang members from both Mara Salvatrucha 13 and Barrio 18 lay in wait in nearby border-towns seeking to rob and abuse illegal aliens searching for trains to take them through Mexico. This pushes migrants into areas with even less established security. Lone criminals and organized crime groups benefit from the lack of aid provided to migrants and the inherent fear of government officials while crossing the border, as it allows them to profit while exploiting illegal aliens.

While no abuses have yet to take place in Arizona (even though many cop chasers/news orgs are looking for one), there is real discrimination taking place on Mexico's southern border.

Sharing Wireless Broadband

2010-05-19T14:25:00.003-06:00

Since my Wife and I travel frequently and the cable company does not make it easy to begin and terminate hi-speed Internet service - I researched for wireless options available that would work.
What I found was a Cradlepoint MDR900 Broadband Wireless Router that allows me to plug my USB Wireless adapter/modem from Verizon and quickly share the port with my two laptops, my printer and my backup drive. I bought mine at Fry's Electronics (~120$) in Phoenix. The install was really easy/painless. I was even able to use it on the drive from Phoenix to Denver - just placed the router in the truck dashboard and Mary was able to download her email to her iTouch! Mobile use requires optional lighter adapter (20$).
A bit slower than cable broadband - and penalties for too much use but better than staying on hold trying to reach the cable company.....
a network on demand anywhere we go!

When Sweeping Changes are just not

2010-05-17T17:32:00.003-06:00

re; WSJ 05172010

California's Money Woes Trigger UC Cuts

The University of California is set to unveil plans for a sweeping financial and administrative overhaul that could reduce annual operating expenses by more than $500 million.

Sounds like Californians are really cutting costs in their bloated state university system - maybe not....

A careful read of the article shows that after five years they hope to achieve an annual savings of 500 Million$ on a run rate of 20 Billion$ per year. This is where journalists need to graph or put the numbers in percentages to put the numbers in perspective. If they achieve the 500M savings in year 5, they would have reduced annual expenses by 2.5% (.5B/20B), hardly worth writing a story about! Is this sweeping changes? To put it in perspective, a Family making 50K$ per year would be cutting expenses by 1,025$/year (one fancy Starbucks coffee/day) - difficult for many families but a debt counselor would not refer to this as a radical cut. Also note that all cutting was done in the admin and purchasing areas - none in the direct academic areas - more evidence that it was not 'sweeping'.

Build the Law and the Science will follow....

2010-05-17T10:00:00.007-06:00

The District of Columbia, after having the Supreme Court overturn their ban on handguns, has enacted a really tough gun registration process. The process requires: (WSJ, May 17,2010)

Under the law, would-be gun owners must go through a process requiring fingerprints, photographs and the detailing of some job history. Applicants have to take a 20-question test on the District's gun laws and regulations. There is a five-hour class, including at least one hour at a gun range, although the city doesn't have a public one. Buyers are required to find trainers from a list approved by police. There is a vision exam, and once the process is complete, the gun must be taken back to the police to be fired for a ballistic identification. The registration expires after three years and must be renewed. If it lapses, the police can seize the gun, and for a first offense, the owner could be jailed for up to one year and fined $1,000. The law designates certain guns as assault weapons that can't be bought in the city. It limits the size of the ammunition-feeding devices to no more than 10 bullets. Many common semi-automatic pistols can hold more than that.

The real kicker though is the part of the law that kicks in during 2011;

In 2011, the city will require semi-automatic pistols owned in the city to be produced with devices that imprint shell casings with a code or serial number as part of the firing process. That would make it easier to link shell casings to guns. The technology, known as micro-stamping or micro-engraving, is in its infancy, and most manufacturers haven't yet adopted it. Peter Nickles, the District's Attorney General, acknowledged the law requires technology that "may not exist right now. But if you build it they will come. While we are not there yet, there is a lot of science out there and a lot of development."

More evidence that there is a total lack of common sense in many people these days. If we can draft laws that will help us find the criminal using technology that has yet to be invented than I have some great new ideas for laws:

A 'Bumper imprinter' that lets us find cars responsible for hit and run accidents. Every car must be taken to the local police station to register the bumper before driving.
A phone that cannot block caller ID, cannot be used in a moving vehicle if owner is driving and of course must be registered to its owner. A five hour course is required for registration but no public location to take the test is available....

Isn't it interesting that we require a shell to identify the gun that fired it but cannot ask for an ID from a person who just committed a crime and is suspected of being in the country illegally?

stole comment from Andrew Hurst (WSJ comment) that was applicable:
...including requiring technology that doesn't exist and would be ineffective with the use of a shell catcher or revolver if it did.
another one with common sense....

Yes, you can build a House in three days!

2010-05-10T15:18:00.008-06:00

There are a number of non-profits that help third world countries by building houses for people in need. With full disclosure, I am affiliated with one: OneMission. We call the three day trip, 'Vacation with a Purpose' and every house I have built has truly been a vacation that I will not forget. Getting away from the daily career grind and working with your hands really takes you away for a few days - and culminates with an amazing experience; a grateful family taking the keys to a new house that was beyond their dreams just a few months ago. If you can participate in this without shedding a few tears, you need a checkup. While the house would qualify as a garden shed in the US/Canada, it is a very substantial house for many in the world.

Building a 11' by 22' foot house:

Day One, We pour the floor and build all of the walls
Day Two, We put the walls on the dry floor, build the roof sections, install plywood siding/roofing, install asphalt roofing, and finally put the first coat of stucco on
Day Three, Put the second coat of stucco on, install two windows and one door - hand the keys to a grateful family.

If you are tired of the normal vacations, pack your hammer and join us in Puerto Penasco, Mexico and help a team build a house for a family - it is a travel experience that you will always remember and a family in Mexico will never forget your gift.

The picture above is (left to right) my Father (who was 84 and building a house!), My Wife Mary and myself.

Buy US Only?

2009-10-14T18:49:00.003-06:00

Some are starting to tell us to protect our economy and buy only US made products - sounds sensible but how practical is it? Lots of news today about a new website designed to assist you in 'buying American'; www.madeinusa.com
I tired to use it pretending I was buying a new Television: came back with 671 listings!
One was LG Philips and bragged that it had 15 US Employees ----15 employees making Televisions? WOW! Also had a weblink that did not work. This is a bad site that is throwing junk data at us to sell advertising. Also, note the rules surrounding suggesting a business: Suggested Businesses MUST be US based and not use foreign manufacturers or call centers.
Don't waste your time with this site......

2009-09-09T14:36:00.004-06:00

Who is more engaging, Palin or Obama?
You might be surprised and the liberals still can't figure it out - how can an Alaskan ex-governor who certainly is not part of the elite demand more engagement? She doesn't even know which papers/magazines she reads!
Want proof? WSJ ran two opinion pieces today:

Opinion by Sarah Palin, on Healthcare and Obama's decisions
Opinion, Obama to endorse Public Plan

The Palin piece was commented on 1318 times (by both ends of the political spectrum) - the Obama piece 424 times. Not sure I can figure it out but she is genuinely engaging, and proving it over and over. Media, start scratching your head again......

Obama needs to address the Teachers/Administrators

2009-09-09T09:51:00.004-06:00

Lots of controversy over the speech to the school kids yesterday - can you imagine the uproar if President Obama would have addressed the teachers/administrators/school boards? He could have done the speech in 5 minutes with this outline...but the Teachers Union would not have liked it.......

Education Next Survey, 2009
25% of Adults gave public ed an F or D Grade
18% of Adults gave public ed an A or B Grade
Math & Reading Scores have been stagnant for 40 years
US ranks 24th in Math Skills
Only 67% of Ninth graders graduate on time
Public School teachers have an average pay of 47K$, not the 33K$ most believe. The best and worst are paid the same......
Public Ed got 100B$ of the Stimulus fund, double the annual federal ed funding
Schools spend an average of 10K$ per pupil per year

He could have closed the speech with a question; 'How much more money do you need to fix public education'? The sad part? Most would have a dollar figure ready to share......

Is it a Cloud?

2009-08-28T11:29:00.003-06:00

I am still trying to understand solutions delivered via cloud computing - In studying this area, I ran across James Governor's blog on this subject.
Sometimes the best description is what it is not! I actually encourage people to put the 'what this is not' or 'does not include' statement in business plans, etc - helps clarify.

15 Ways to Tell Its Not Cloud Computing

If you peel back the label and its says “Grid” or “OGSA” underneath… its not a cloud.
If you need to send a 40 page requirements document to the vendor then… it is not cloud.
If you can’t buy it on your personal credit card… it is not a cloud
If they are trying to sell you hardware… its not a cloud.
If there is no API… its not a cloud.
If you need to re-architect your systems for it… Its not a cloud.
If it takes more than ten minutes to provision… its not a cloud.
If you can’t provision in less than ten minutes… its not a cloud.
If you know where the machines are… its not a cloud.
If there is a consultant in the room… its not a cloud.
If you need to specify the number of machines you want upfront… its not a cloud.
If it only runs one operating system… its not a cloud.
If you can’t connect to it from your own machine… its not a cloud.
If you need to install software to use it… its not a cloud.
If you own all the hardware… its not a cloud.
If it takes 20 slides to explain…. its not a cloud

finally, Wikipedia says:

Cloud computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users need not have knowledge of, expertise in, or control over the technology infrastructure in the "cloud" that supports them.

What to Read? Look @ Level of Engagement

2009-08-27T14:28:00.004-06:00

I read the online WSJ daily and am often faced with what to read and what to ignore - my time is limited. I have discovered a unique way to help decide - measure the community engagement in the article. What does this mean? - WSJ Online has a a tab on most stories that you select to read readers comments - on this tab they list in (parenthesis) the number of comments.
I use it as a quick way to see which stories I want to read - general rule if it is over 300 early in the day, I must read. The reasoning is this: if the article is engaging, the community (subscribers/readers) will respond by joining into the conversation. The more that jump into the conversation, usually the more interesting the article is.

To quickly view the articles most commented on, look for the Most Popular section on lower right side, select commented tab:

Opinion: Obama and the Bureaucratization of Health Care 1038 comments
Speech to Students Puts Politics Aside 426 comments
Obama to Endorse Public Plan in Speech 386 comments
School Speech Released in Bid to Quell Controversy 265 comments
Opinion: Obama and the Left 254 comments

While I am still old school and really enjoy reading the paper version, this is one of the advantages of the online version. BTW, I do not ignore articles with less engagement - I still scan to see if I am interested. Enjoy the news - that's fit to be engaged!

House Supersizes Jet Order

2009-08-12T16:48:00.007-06:00

Representative Jared Polis, You voted yes on HR3326, the Defense Appropriations Act of 2010.

In this act, the defense dept requested funding for two executive equipped jets for 150M$.
The House then super-sized this to eight jets for 550M$ and added 60 pages of earmarks.
Please thank your leadership for now saying that they will not force the Pentagon to buy the four new jets specified in the bill.

Do you realize why Americans are so angry with Congress? - why we think you are out of touch with us?
Do you understand why we don't trust an incomplete 800 page healthcare bill when this one was only 170 pages?
I think Congress needs to 'ride in coach' more often and I appreciate that you actually did that in one of your trips to Iraq!

Is it 47 Million or 13M?

2009-08-10T23:33:00.003-06:00

Jared Polis, Congress, Colorado says on his website; "The staggering 47 Million Americans without health insurance". This is an oft repeated lie which orginally started with Michael Moore in Sicko/movie. Dr. Gupta from CNN got into a real argument with Michael over the accuracy of this data. Repeated often enough, everyone is believing it, but...

10 Million of this number are non-Americans
17 Million of this number make more than 50K$ per year and still refuse to buy insurance
7 Million are between jobs at any given time, they probably need insurance but it is a ever rotating group of people, not the same families.

this leaves 13M un-insured people who can still get healthcare (emergency care only, btw - which every insured one funds)
Do we still have an issue in the US? Absolutely, but the argument will be better if based on facts as they are - don't make up higher numbers to justify your argument.

What will Kill you?

2009-08-10T23:06:00.003-06:00

CDC has published a 14MB pdf report, Health, United States, 2008 with lots of interesting data - studying it for proof that the US Healthcare system is as broke as our Congress would have us believe.

Interesting on what the primary killers are by age:
Age 0-1 Conginital Malformations
1-44 Injuries from Accidents
45-64 Cancer
65 and up Heart

Overall as an average, the Heart is the biggest killer out there.

this poor cowboy was certainly going to die of a bad heart.....

I'm lyin' on the barren ground that's baked and cracked with drought,
And dunno if my legs or back or heart is most wore out;I've got no spirits left to rise and smooth me achin' brow --I'm too knocked up to light a fire and bile the billy now.
Oh it's trampin', trampin', tra-a-mpin', in flies an' dust an' heat,
Or it's trampin' trampin' tra-a-a-mpin'through mud and slush 'n sleet;It's tramp an' tramp for tucker -- one everlastin' strife,
An' wearin' out yer boots an' heart in the wastin' of yer life.
For it's trampin', trampin', tra-a-mpin' thro' hell across the plain,
And it's trampin' trampin' tra-a-mpin' thro' slush 'n mud 'n rain --
A livin' worse than any dog -- without a home 'n wife,
A-wearin' out yer heart 'n soul in the wastin' of yer life.
Knocked Up, Henry Lawson

Can an iPhone save money?

2009-07-25T17:35:00.003-06:00

I have been taking Bass Guitar lessons and found myself in need of a good metronome - about 20$ at Guitar Center. I thought briefly about the Apple iPhone App Store and decided to search for one - turns out there are plenty to choose from and most cost 99 cents. I settled on Tempo, added FretBoard for my chord listings (books cost 20-30$) and use iPod software to play along with. I use Voice Memos to record a bass lick the teacher is demonstrating so I can replay later in the week. Guitar instructor was very impressed and I saved a bunch of money which can go for a new 1000$ guitar! There is a bunch of junk in the app store but plenty of jewels too. BTW, guitar tuners are also available - I had already spent 30$ for mine so not using one.

Words Matter

2008-09-05T11:51:00.004-06:00

The WSJ ran an article today that displayed data in a useful format - you could easily display a word and see how many times it was used in any candidates acceptance speech. For instance McCain referred to Obama only 6 times, Obama referred to McCain 20 times. Interesting view, let me know what you think. The graphics at the site are interesting because they show the word sized according to how many times it was uses in the speech (larger = more frequent use).

Top 5 words used in order by candidate are:
McCain: Obama:
America America
Fight McCain
Government Economy
Jobs Family
Life Democrats

Barack Obama

Speech accepting the Democratic nomination, Denver, Aug. 28, 2008

Click on a word to highlight each instance in the speech

afghanistan........
whiners

John McCain

Speech accepting the Republican nomination, St. Paul, Minn., Sept. 4, 2008

Click on a word to highlight each instance in the speech

admiration
......, win

A Cowboy to beat all..

2008-09-02T12:14:00.005-06:00

If you like cowboys and want to hear one who really is smart, take a gander at Baxter Black.
I got acquainted with him on a local radio station here in Denver (Peter Boyles show) - really is enjoyable to listen to. Friend Danny Smith sent me his latest video clip - great way to get introduced to him.
I have read only one of his books; Hey Cowboy, Wanna Get Lucky?, a great story about the rodeo circuit. A quick read that will convince you never to join the rodeo - those guys are hurt all the time....

'Printing' Buildings now possible

2008-09-02T10:06:00.004-06:00

A discussion with my Jim (Brother in law) a few years ago has led me to watch the computer modeling space. His idea was to build a 'printer' to build scale models of products. This concept has now morphed into printing ...well, buildings.

Caterpillar, the world's largest manufacturer of construction equipment, is starting to support research on the "Contour Crafting" automated construction system that its creator believes will one day be able to build full-scale houses in hours. This is concrete-jet instead of inkjet printing technology.

The current state of the art is printing concrete walls.

New Google Web Browser: Chrome

2008-09-02T09:42:00.005-06:00

Today, Google will release a new browser that holds great promise - I was a very early adopter of the Google search engine in my work group and will be early on this one too.

Here is some screen shots:
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/007645.html

Click for Download site

Helping to translate Docs?

2008-08-21T17:53:00.006-06:00

Take a look at this - this is neat stuff - using the security matching dialogs to convert books to digital. Every time you are answering a security question, you are actually helping translate! The character recognition software still does not match the Human ability so after the computer finishes, the words that could not be translated are given to multiple people who answer security questions meant to prevent computers from flooding sites with bots. You are given two words, one is known, the other is the mystery word from the translation. The first use is to convert early century NY Times papers - not my first choice but a start.

http://recaptcha.net/learnmore.html

My new Kindle Book Reader

2008-08-21T12:26:00.007-06:00

I finally went and purchased a Kindle book reader from Amazon. I had been waiting for a new release (version 2) but it looks like Amazon may be a long time before one is released. I thought I would share a few of my observations:
1 It is reducing my book cost - I travel frequently and tend to buy books at airports - ouch! Bestsellers are about 10$ each.
2 While I subscribe to the WSJ, when I travel I typically pick one up at the airport - now I just download a single copy for 75 cents and don't have to fold it out in the small airplane seats. I just skip from article to article to select which ones I want to read.
3 Best kept secret - you can read your email and some internet sites from the Kindle for free.
4 Lots of free books, especially the classics.
5 Normally I read while waiting for takeoff - since Kindle is an electronic device I cannot - one of the few drawbacks I have noticed. So I cheat whenever I can....
6 The next page buttons are too long and sometimes you hit them by mistake when you are just trying to hold the reader - this has been documented endlessly and Amazon has chosen to ignore it.
7 You do stand out using one of these and people have asked me about it frequently. I have only noticed one other with one while traveling.
8 While there are Bibles that are free, there is one available for a few dollars with a searchable table of contents - I use it in church and have gotten a few strange looks.
9 I bought a 4GB SD card and plan on keeping lots of books in the unit.
10 No, I don't miss the hard copies, they collect in my basement until I can find someone who wants them - not many since I have an eclectic reading list.
11 Downloading a book is so fast you really don't believe it is done.
12 Amazon needs to market this in Airports similar to what Bose does for their headsets - people need to handle the unit before buying.

Overall, I am very pleased and should have done it earlier - much earlier.

Ignore the price per Barrel of Oil

2008-07-16T17:18:00.007-06:00

Notice how the announcers state with panic that the 'oil price has now climbed to above 140$US/barrel'? Most of us immediately believe that this translates to a corresponding rise in the price of gas/petrol. GasBuddy.com has a great charting feature where you can compare price per gallon of gas for both US and Canada and then overlay Crude pricing. Notice that for the past year Crude price (green line on chart) does not have a high level of correlation to gas pricing - it is climbing faster - much faster. Not sure the reason except that gas futures may be driving this?
Said another way, Oil prices has risen by 82% since 9/2007 while Gas prices have risen by a lower rate of 51%. Interesting observation......

IT doesn't Matter....in a bucket

2007-01-09T12:04:00.001-07:00

A great new idea that will make significant global changes did not require any IT (Information Technology) to solve; a plastic bucket. I was intrigued by this story/video due to my various mission trips in the poorest areas of the world. In Haiti, I was painting a church while using paint in a five-gallon bucket and noticed a boy quietly and patiently watching me - after a bit of translation I discovered that he was waiting on me to empty the bucket (with a lid, even more special) so that he could take the same bucket home for help in transporting water. The throwaway of the US became a prized possession in Haiti! If I were to go assist in 3rd world countries again (maybe retirement?) would I try and fix everything with IT? Or is there simple solutions that could really help everyday problems?

The CIO of OxFAM GB describes the one such solution below:

I’d just like to give you an example of innovation that Oxfam GB has come up with in the past. This is a thing called the Oxfam bucket. So, what’s so innovative about a bucket? Well, the innovation is when you have a problem which was how do we transport water for a displaced family and keep it safe and clean? So, first you have to look at the transportation of the water, and you have a handle on the bucket. You have a bucket that is designed with a capacity that is carry-able by people so it’s not too heavy to carry, and you actually grind the plastic molding pieces off the bottom because in many of the cultures where we work they carry these things on their heads. The second thing is that you have to look at sanitation about water, we want to keep it clean, and we are talking perhaps about carrying it through a camp. So the bucket’s got a lid on it, so you can fill it up, put the lid back on so you won’t spill it while you’re carrying it, but that lid also stops things falling into the bucket or insects getting into it. And it’s also got a tap on the bottom, an insertable tap that allows you to draw water from the bucket without putting in any dirty implements to bring it out. Lastly, the real interesting piece of this innovation is that these buckets take up about a tenth of the size of the old Jerry Cans. And of course, when you’re transporting in a plane, the thing that matters is size. So it’s a very good example of innovation, and in fact this bucket won a design award.

an elegant solution to a real issue for the poor - go OxFam! But wouldn't it have been much more fun using IT/Hardware/Software?

It's not about the Music......

2007-01-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Mark Kiszla wrote a good article today in the Denver Post on the continuing story of Denver Broncos Darrent Williams being shot in a drive-by New Years eve:

But at the New Year's Eve bash at the Shelter nightclub where the Broncos cornerback spent his final hours, there was so much wall-to-wall attitude, according to an eyewitness who asked not to be identified out of concern for his personal safety, that accidentally stepping on the toes of an agitated patron's new Air Jordans might have been enough to incite a violent confrontation.

Why all the anger? Amateur sociologists like to point a righteous finger at the violent images set to the beats of rap. But music rattling the windows of a car doesn't kill. A gun in the glove box does. Blaming hip hop for murder would be as ludicrous as pinning the problem of babies born out of wedlock on "Little Red Corvette" by Prince. You are a voice crying in the wilderness, Bill ....except for some black mothers.

While the homicide rate among young black males has significantly declined since the middle 1990s, according to U.S. Department of Justice statistics, a black man roughly the same age as Williams faces a risk eight times greater of being murdered than his white counterpart in America......The leading cause of death among young African-American males between 18 and 25 years old is murder.

Note that yet another witness of the party mentioned the 'attitude' displayed right before the shooting. While Kiszla made a point to not blame the music he may have missed the point; the issue is the culture, the music is just a part of it.
If you play with this culture, your chance of living is greatly reduced. Chuck Colson was right when he said that your life is ultimately determined by your worldview. When are the Black leaders (read Jackson, Sharpton) going to fly into Denver and start a critique of this culture that is killing so many of their young men? Don't hold your breath - too busy chasing cameras and racists and not enough chutzpah's to challenge issues with a hateful culture that is killing black men everyday. Cosby (Bill) seems to be the only Black person getting any press for rejecting this hip-hop culture. In August 2006 he said "They put the word 'nigga' in a song, and we get up and dance to it," while addressing a black church audience.

Could it be that Evolution isn't science but instead a Naturalist Philosophy?

2007-01-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is an AP Online story - Bold Comments are mine - read it carefully and review my Observations.
Theory of Evolution Still in Doubt BOSTON, Jul 03, 2000 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Scientists have made enormous progress building upon the theory of evolution in the 140 years since it was first proposed by naturalist Charles Darwin. But some are particularly puzzled by one unsolved mystery: Why do so many people continue to have their doubts? A Gallup Poll conducted last year found that 47 percent of Americans believe God created human beings, while 49 percent accepted the theory of evolution - that mankind developed over millions of years from more primitive species. "I think all that shows is that most Americans are woefully badly educated in science, which is our fault, not theirs," said Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould. Could it be that people are looking at it from a Worldview perspective and choose to use or discount any science underpinnings? Author (Niles Eldridge) who just recently wrote The Triumph of Evolution says; "I have come to see that religious traditions in general - and concepts of God in particular - reveal a lot about how people see themselves, and how they see themselves fitting into the natural world" This (from an avowed evolutionist) correctly addresses the issues in creationism versus Darwinism. He adds, "It's only their stories about how they got that way that tend to be fanciful." Darwinism versus Creationism is really not science versus Religion or better yet, fact versus faith but naturalistic philosophy versus the Christian worldview. To a Christian, taking God out of the universe cuts to the core of what they believe - you have taken the foundation out from under them and they suddenly are without meaning - an accident of magnificent proportions. On the other side, these fanciful stories in Genesis put God in the control of a world that the philosophy of naturalism cannot live with. A war is predictable because of the opposing philosophies and science doesn't have much to do with it, except conveniently providing a place to hide your underlying philosophies (note that Creationists also try this).

Richard Lewontin (Harvard Geneticist) wrote an article arguing for the superiority of science over religion (he groups with UFO's and channeling) - in it he admits that science has its own problems. It has created many of our social problems and many scientific theories are no more than "unsubstantiated just-so stories." Nevertheless, "in our struggle between science and the supernatural," we "take the side of science." Why? "Because we have a prior commitment to materialism." I looked up Gould's Harvard evolution class and found a student discussion board. In a discussion thread about increasing complexity I noticed that no one would dare to question the theory of evolution, they were simply trying anything that would still support their fixed view.

Scientists, who almost universally accept evolution, believe all the evidence is on their side. Facing activists who want creationism taught alongside evolution in public schools, they say they'll have to make a stronger case to the public. Notice that Evolutionists are scientists and creationists are 'activists'! Is this unbiased journalism? A stronger case is just not education on the same tired old unscientific theories - creationists will need something more. Gould is one of several prominent scientists involved in a new Evolution Education Research Centre, based at Harvard and McGill University in Montreal. The premise is that Americans and Canadians - about half of whom also have their doubts about evolution - aren't being convincingly taught the science that supports the theory. "If students understand well evolution, but for religious reasons say 'I still cannot accept that because of my religious beliefs,' then we in the educational community say we respect that," said Brian Alters, a McGill science-education professor who is leading the center. "But that is not the case, we usually find." Linda Holloway, who was chairwoman of the Kansas Board of Education when it voted last year to remove most references to evolution from the state's curriculum, said she welcomed efforts to teach evolution more effectively. "I think that's great. I think this whole discussion is great," she said. "Evolutionists are putting out their information and people who have different viewpoints are putting out theirs. I think that's healthy." The center plans to disseminate its research through teachers conventions and seminars, and on a Web site. But the main target is university-level science education professors, who will train the next generation of high school teachers. In a study of 1,200 college freshmen, Alters found 45 percent of those who doubted evolution had specific misunderstandings about some of the science that has been used to confirm the theory - for instance carbon dating techniques that determine the age of fossils. The recent widespread scientific acceptance of the 'Big Bang theory' has many scientists scrambling to make it fit with natural selection - what caused this big bang? While Genesis has the answer I'll not ask you to believe such nonsense but instead to keep trying to modify the theories to make it fit your underlying philosophy (call this science). I find it interesting that Eldridge (Fossils : The Evolution and Extinction of Species ) has moved from the widely accepted gradual evolution theory to the sudden transformation caused by the extinction of a species - conveniently this fits the absence of fossils in transformation - now it fits. "We need to find out why people don't understand evolution," Alters said. "Then we need to craft lessons, activities, curricula to specifically address that." The debate over teaching origin theories dates back to 1925, when John T. Scopes was charged with violating Tennessee law for teaching evolution in high school. Scopes' conviction was later were overturned. In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court barred states from requiring the teaching of creationism in public schools where evolution is taught. The Kansas school board's decision last year rekindled the debate. Alters and Gould both say Americans' attitudes toward the teaching of evolution are more complex than they first appear. The Gallup Poll conducted last year also found 68 percent of Americans favored teaching both creationism and evolution in the public schools. By a margin of 55 percent to 40 percent, they opposed replacing evolution with creationism. Those results were based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,016 adults, 18 years and older, conducted June 25-27, 1999. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In closing・. I agree with Chuck Colson (1) when he writes, "We can no longer allow naturalists to treat science as a sanctuary where their personal philosophy reigns free from challenge." Eldridge was right when he said, "・concepts about God reveal a lot about how people see themselves・" An additional survey question that would have made this report clearer needed to be added; "What is your view of God? We might find that no amount of additional education will address the differences which are really incompatible Worldviews.

(1) Charles Colson, How Now Shall We Live, Tyndale House, 1999

Must you finish every Book you start?

2007-01-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting article on the merits of finishing a book - As a practice, I usually finish a book if I start it because I have a sense of fairness in giving the author a chance. This article states that many professional editors give the author 50 pages to grab them - if they have failed to by that point, they pitch the book. The comparison is given of attending a party - if you start talking to someone who is really boring do you stay with the person till the end of the night - NO! I am going to try and change my habits/rule - you now have 50 pages to grab me - there are too many good books out there that I want to read.

By the way, if you are an avid reader - you really should check Levenger catalog and their new Well Read Life website out.

Seat belts on Planes - can you show me one more time how to buckle my belt?

2007-01-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

After traveling for about 25 years on planes with over 125,000 miles this year, I still find it odd that the flight crew still needs to instruct the whole plane on how to fasten their seat belt. Is there anyone in the world left that does not know how to do this simple step? This is a classic case of doing something just because we always have. With all of the electronics available, why not have an electronic system that monitors all passenger seat belts? Most autos have this already - my wife’s auto (Mercury Sable) waits about 3-5 minutes before starting a regular chime to remind me that I am driving illegally. Currently, the flight crew cannot push away from the gate without everyone being in their seats - just extend this to requiring that seat belts be fastened by monitoring electronically.

What is really weird here is that infants are exempted from this rule on airplanes but made mandatory in autos! So, a parent traveling by air must hang onto their child in their lap while experiencing any kind of turbulence, etc. A DC-10 in Puerto Rico experienced turbulence that resulted in only one injury; a child that was supposedly restrained by a parent 'hanging on' to the child. The logic from the FAA is that an additional seat required ($200) would be too expensive for families and would force them into other modes of transportation that are inherently more dangerous (i.e.; autos). And .... air travelers under the age of 2 very rarely die in accidents where a restraint might have made a difference. The NTSB cites only half a dozen such cases in the last 12 years.

Please show me one more time exactly how to buckle my belt - put the small end in the ..........aaaaggggghhhhhhh - Oh yes, and please put down your reading material, cease all conversation and pay attention to these important safety announcements!

Oh yes, BabyB'Air sells a contraption that tethers a child during flight - note that it is NOT approved for use during takeoff, taxi and landings!!!!!!!!!!!!

Giving for Tsunami at 7$ for each American

2007-01-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Earlier, I posted a blog where the NYTimes was critical of the US governements commitment to the Tsunami relief - initial relief was 15M$US.
The numbers are now summarlized and the editors might want to revisit this story - not likely, as it again shows that Americans are great givers of charity in time of need. 2B$ out of the 10B$ donated was from the US (950M from the government and 1,031M for the US public). This totals about 7$ for each man, woman, child in the US - does this seem enough? - I will leave it to others to comment.
Also, this total does not include military assistance, a point I made in my previous post. What was the worth of the American military who carried much of the aid to the needy? Point is that a measure of the immediate aid offered (15M$) is not an indication of how much a country is going to give - a point the NYT should have known from history.

Wasting my time complaining about air travel

2007-01-05T11:02:00.002-07:00

If I ever took the time to complain about air travel, I would include this list:
1. Watch for wide turns; they come down the aisle with an oversized backpack still on their back and fail to understand that the apendage turns with them - if you are sitting in the aisle you get hit.
2 Aisle Trucks; people bring all of these items and are frustrated when there is no room; a large purse (could fit a laptop in it), computer bag, suitcase, shopping bag...... The really good ones are also talking on a mobile phone at the same time - people on the aisle will suffer again.
3 Wide Rollers; people buy these wide roller suitcases and insist on rolling them down the aisle, even though it gets stuck at each seat - they just yank it free and go on .....
4 Seat Yankers; these people will use your seat back to get into and out of their seat resulting in your head being bounced off the headrest - the really good ones manage to also get your hair in the process. Happens more on long international flights that include sleep time.
5 Seat Racers; They try and lower their seat back as fast as they can - if your laptop and/or knees are in the way and get hit, they get extra points. Do they do this in their recliner at home?
These same people will then lean forward to eat their meal without raising the seat - isn't this uncomfortable?
6 Aisle Racers; They need assistance with balance and so they grab each and every headrest on their way to the head; the good ones give it a real pull if you are asleep.
7 Armrest Stealers; These people actually cause the armrests to disappear - not sure how they do it but it happens - usually are very large people and sit in the middle seat to maximize the number that are hidden.
8 Seat Shufflers; This is always a family who has bought discount tickets and their seats are all middle seats in different rows. They really want to sit together on this 90 minute flight so they start negotiating with the other passengers. When asked, I remind them that I paid full fare and will only accept a comparable seat - meaning aisle in economy plus. I actually experienced a family with two small children do this - what were they thinking when they made the reservation?
9 Lost children; The parents board the plane with a small child leading the way; the cute child invariably stops at each row, turns and ask their parents if this is the one. And then on to the next aisle.....
10 Overhead Stealers; quick thinkers these are; they put their luggage in the first available space upon boarding the plane - too difficult taking it back to their row. The crew is usually challenging this now and stopping it.
11 Toilet Lovers; Thanks Kate for adding this one - people who have bladder problems but insist on getting a window seat. Additionally, don't you love the people that will actually try and crawl over you to get out versus waiting until you get up to let them leave normally?
12 Empty Seat Filler; Thanks Joe for adding this one - people who move from their seat in the back of the plane to the empty seat next to you in economy plus (extra legroom on UAL). UAL now charges extra for these seats so complain to the crew.

.........I will keep adding as I remember - any you want to add?

Volvo Ocean Race 2005 - 2006

2007-01-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Some friends (Chang-Young Kim from Softek pictured) and I sailed out in Melbourne harbour to watch the Volvo Ocean race start the third leg to New Zealand. This epic race covers 32000 nautical miles around the world, the race course can be viewed here. We then chased the boats out to about 10KM off shore and sailed back as fast as we could - great sailing! Now, if I just could buy a hole in the water in which to throw money in. I actually got to man the helm for about 30 minutes - rough work when sailing fast. I really missed having Mary with me and I really don't think she would have got sick (as she usually does, champion chummer) as we kept moving, except for a brief stint at the start of the race.

If you ever thought something you were planning to do was difficult, read again about these sailors and their journey....then read Shackletons story....and then jump.

That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel, and a hull, and a deck, and sails. That's what a ship needs... but what a ship is... is freedom. (from Pirates of the Caribbean, .....bit of connection to the race, yes?)

Where Have All the Intellectuals Gone?

2007-01-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

This is a tough read by Frank Furedi; maybe it is a test of Intellectuals and I have failed the initial test?

I was most interested in the definition of what an Intellectual is - how do you know if someone is?

I have composed a list of the different definitions/portraits Mr. Furedi uses; you might find it interesting reading:
1 Not necessarily full time, sometimes withdraw under pressure, compromise and conform to the cultural climate that prevails.
2 ...all those that create, distribute and apply culture, that is the symbolic order of man, including art, science and religion.
3 an intimate relationship to the pursuit of ideas and of truth.
4 they share a common desire to influence the world.
5 they possess a common commitment to being the critical voice of the truth as they see it (italics mine)
6 are individuals with a vocation for the art of representing, whether that is talking, writing, teaching, appearing on television.
7 to rise above the partial preoccupation of one's own profession or artistic genre and engage with the global issues of truth, judgment and taste of the time.
8 defenders of cultural standards, as a group of perpetual critics and dissenters, as the conscience of society.
9 ability to engage with the wider issues of the day.
10 challengers of contemporary wisdom and convention.

He contrasts the intellectuals with what he calls the 'Philistines' who he describes a "a person deficient in liberal culture, one whose interests are material and commonplace". I know plenty of these!

Who do you know/are aware of who fits these criteria?
One who I immediately think of is William F. Buckley; his literary autobiography (Miles Gone By) is a great read, by the way. Some who believe a true intellectual must be detached from any identity and interest would remove him from the list due to his unwavering belief in free markets and other conservative values. BTW, Buckley is not on the list of 2005 Intellectuals; to view the 100 look here. I am not sure there any intellectuals out there sufficiently detached to meet these criteria. Who is your candidate?

A good friend has a 60th wedding anniversary!

2007-01-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

My father in-law and really good friend for 30 years has made a significant achievement:
James and Thelma Simpson Sr. of Benton Harbor will observe their 60th wedding anniversary Feb. 27, 2006.
James Simpson Sr. and the former Thelma Stump were married Feb. 27,1946, in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA.
Their children are James Simpson Jr. of Palo Alto, Calif., Mary Ellen (Leland) Long of Westminster, Colo., and Judy (Les) Peters of St. Joseph.
They also have five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. James Simpson retired in 1987 from Whirlpool Corp., after 42 years of service.
Mrs. Simpson was employed by Chicken Coop in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph for more than 12 years. They have been members of First Church of Nazarene, St. Joseph, for 56 years.

Congratulations my friend, this kind of commitment is happening less and less - your marriage is to be admired and modeled - and you are one of my mentors for my marriage - only 25 years to go to catch up - wow! Lee

Copy Staff selling Copy Watches

2007-01-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Was out in Kowloon today visiting the ladies Market - was looking for a good deal on a Brietling watch for my son - he inherited his love for watches from me. I was looking at one shop (escorted to from the street stalls) when they handed me a business card for their 'business'. It stated that "recently there has been people from other stalls claiming to be our staff. To ensure you get the best quality product please ask for their ID". In China, they refer to a fake/replica watch as a copy watch or a copy purse. It occurred to me that the Chinese copy sellers are eating their own rice, they are now being targeted by copy clerks! BTW, the watch had a stamp on the back; made in switchinternet, good engrish by any standards.
Also, I have tried to buy one of the famous Olympic mascot dolls for my granddaughters - can't find them. The Chinese in an effort to stop copy mascots have made them almost impossible to find and buy by restricting the selling locations. Capitalists or Communist, you tell me?

Gweilo, a great book for a Gweilo from Michigan

2007-01-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

From the Free Dictionary Gweilo is: Gweilo (鬼佬; Jyutping: gwai2 lou2; Cantonese IPA: kwɐɪ₃₅ ləʊ₃₅; Pinyin: guĭlăo; sometimes also spelt Gwailo) is a derogatory Cantonese term for Caucasian people (generally men). It literally means "ghost man" and arose to describe the pale complexion, the sometimes "red hair and green/blue eyes" (紅鬚綠眼) of Caucasians. When the term is translated into English, it is often translated as foreign devil. It is used so commonly by Cantonese speakers to refer to white people and westerners in general that its use is not always derogatory.

This book was written by a Gweilo (blond hair which really made him special, rubbing his hair for luck was done often by the Chinese) who grew up in Hong Kong/Kowloon. This is a great book written by a man for his sons after they requested it - he died soon after finishing it, making it a treasured gift. I really enjoyed the view of Hong Kong from an innocent child who struggled at understanding what a jig-jig was. He sees the lives of opium users, shopkeepers, slum dwellers, and his own parents through a special view - one not often experienced. Read it - enjoy a great city through his experiences. I usually remark that HK is not a place to bring up a child, after reading this book I am even more convinced of it....that said, one gweilo did real well.

also...instead of buying those travel books filled with places to visit, shop, eat and drink ...try a local written book, fiction or factual, and you will learn a lot more about the culture than those staid travel books will ever tell you. Travel on....

The Wisdom of Crowds

2007-01-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

up at 4:30 AM in Japan and reading: The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki

"the TV studio audience of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire guesses correctly 91 percent of the time, compared to 'experts' who guess only 65 percent correctly. Keep up the good work, comrades." Groups really are better in some/most instances. Numerous stories are added to this that make it an interesting read.

The area of the book that is most interesting to myself deals with small groups who know each other well.

" the more influence a groups members exert on each other, and the more personal contact they have with each other, the less likely it is that the group's decisions will be wise ones." Add to this that a groups diversity further depends on most information being brought to the group independently and we have a recipe for disastrous results in .......................church boards. Pastor brings the data, and the homogeneous board looks at each other to make a consensus decision - and probably a bad one. My hypothesis would be that the better boards are more heterogeneous (and have less interaction with each other - larger churches?).

He uses an observation from pro football; most coaches will take a field goal with a fourth and 4-5 yards to go instead of taking the chance on a first down. He argues that statistically, this is not the best decision but the insular world of football has made this a safe decision that is verified by years of experience. Good read, enjoy...Lee

Attitudes (Hip-Hop) can Kill

2007-01-05T10:34:00.000-07:00

Headlines in Denver: Darrent Williams (Broncos football player) was killed in drive by shooting after leaving a Denver area nightclub at 2AM.

The nightclub was having a special night of music around the hip hop genre. One interview of another nightclub owner in the area revealed the following insights:
A man who manages a nearby gay bar known as Broadway's said many of the patrons of Safari have an "attitude" that frightens his customers. "People wouldn't come down here after 9 or 10 on hip-hop night," said Dave, who declined to give his last name for fear of retaliation. "They were afraid to come down here."

The hip-hop culture is one of violence as evident by the many videos, interviews with their leaders and police reports show. But, I have always been captivated by their 'attitude' or 'tude' in street talk. They always look and sound angry - which is interesting since they are surrounded by half dressed women and the fanciest cars money can buy! Try to find a picture of one of their stars having fun - they are a 'in your face' type of culture and demonstrate it routinely. Hardly surprising that we see many examples of this culture breeding violence - if you are always having an 'attitude' you will be looking for a fight and almost always succeed.

Darrent Williams may have been a nice guy but he was messing with a culture who does not recognize nice guys - just ones with a consistent angry attitude. My IPOD will be playing jazz instrumentals today and I will be a happy person - the only 'tude' I will be acquainted with is my granddaughters when they don't get their way - but they are still kids. And, I will be in bed way before 2AM - my mother/dad were right when they said nothing good happens after midnight. Next time you read a report on sports violence/arrests, scan the time it occurred - chance are very good it will be early in the morning - but this is material for a future post....

New LS460L comes with a 1000 page manual

2007-01-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed that the latest luxury cars are now differentiating themselves with features more so than style? It may be easier to do as most are looking very much alike these days with the possible exception of some models of Chrysler.
I was reading up on the latest Lexus LS460L at www.familycar.com........ review a list of its features:
19 Speaker Stereo system
Navigation System that alerts you of road delays - The system contains over eight million points of interest including gas stations, restaurants, cash machines, banks, and many other types of locations.
Rear seats heated/cooled, recline and get this - has a massage option....
Automatic parallel parking
Power rear sunshades
four-zone heating/cooling
8 speed transmission
Bluetooth, support for up to 6 mobile phones with 1000 numbers stored
4000 songs stored on internal 30GB hard disk (cars now have more disk space than most companies had in their IT shop in the late 60's!)
XM satellite radio
380 Horsepower (to go 55?)
Air suspension
power seat belt height adjusters
an "ottoman" that extends out to serve as a footrest
power rear door closers, so the rear seat passenger shouldn't have to reach out in an undignified manner to close the door
high resolution DVD screen that drops down electrically
the climate control system will not only monitor air temperature, it will also monitor the body temperature of the occupants and adjust the outlet temperature to compensate
heated steering wheel
power windows that slow near the top in order to seal more silently.......

But, it also comes with a 650 page instruction manual with another 314 page manual for the navigation system - when did cars become complicated enough to lose a whole weekend reading up on how to operate it? And get this; the instruction manual reminds you that it is your responsibility to check for obstacles such as people while using the auto park feature - and why can't the car do this also? A mere 85,000$ and it is all yours to read...I mean drive.

Segway | Segway HT

2007-01-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished the book Code Name Ginger (Steve Kemper) about the development of the amazing Segway HT (Human Transporter). I also attended a speech recently at a StorageTek customer forum given by the inventor; Dean Kamen - he did a great job and was very interesting. He actually gave the entire 60 minute speech while standing on the Segway - you could occasisionally see the unit making slight moves to stay balanced. He also gave a pitch for the FIRST organization which he founded to drive interest in engineering in the schools. His pitch is this; "You have teenagers thinking they're going to make millions as NBA/Hollywood stars when that's not realistic for even 1 percent of them. Becoming a scientist or engineer is."
I like it - the kids build robots as part of a contest competing with other schools.

I read the book after the unprecedented hype about this product had died down so I had hindsight that is always more accurate. In reading it I was always amazed at how many people who saw this before its release believed it would be an enormous success and was fighting with each other to throw money at it. Why didn't it meet its promise? It was just fun - a toy that was easy to learn and ride but nobody was asked to put down 5,000$ to buy one! I would like one but where would I ride it? On my trips to Tokyo, it would be useful but how would I get it on the subway? Have you ever experienced the subway policeman pushing the people in? How could so many people be wrong - the book did not portray a single person that thought this would be a mediocre product that would sell just a few units. The DEKA group (Dean's Engineering company) thought they would sell millions annually. Be careful of things that are fun - they are easy to hype but harder to sell.

Where would you put a Third Eye?

2007-01-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

I have always been intrigued with the use of Market Research and how pertinent it is - do people really know what they want? The example I have always used is this one: What would a farmer in the early 1900's have asked for to help in bringing in the crop? Probably some version of a horse that would work longer, faster or require less feeding and caring. Would they have requested a tractor? - probably not - too big of a shift of where they live/work.
I just finished the story of Dean Kamen, the inventor of the in-famous Segway. He used a great example trying to convince his marketing group (only 3 people who he continually fought with and thought were useless) that consumer research was useless. He said if you asked people where they would put a third eye, most would answer the back of their head. If you would then ask them if they would want it on the tip of their finger instead, they would see the advantages quickly.
The Book is titled: Code Name Ginger (Ginger was the original name of the human transporter). page 195 if you want to review......

How Much Aid is Enough?

2007-01-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

The NY Times is taking a shot at President Bush again, this time for not giving enough to the tsunami relief effort. Further it compares our aid effort with other countries to show that we are indeed "stingy". The issue with this is that they are only counting the initial money offered, ignoring the cost of the military being sent and the large amount of money being sent through private relief organizations. America is the World's largest donors of relief aid period - efforts to come up with other measurements (% giving as a ratio of gdp) will not reduce this fact.
I also note that the editorial recommends that the US funnel all of its relief through the UN in spite of its record with the 'food for oil' debacle. Right! My recommendation is to give all of our aid directly and through US based aid organizations to show the world that we are indeed a Christian nation and can be counted on when disaster hits. I also wonder why the writer failed to take the Muslim countries to task; Saudi Arabia pledged 10 million - where is the outrage for this oil-rich nation? Will the Times revisit this story when the aid is finally totaled up and the US aid exceeds 1 billion? I think not.........

Excerpts from the NY Times follows:

he greatest outpouring of disaster relief on record has been promised for the victims of the worst natural disaster of our time, a stupendous display of good will and empathy for the huge suffering and loss in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Somalia and the other devastated countries. Now, how does the world get it to those who need it?

President Bush, who embarrassed Americans with his initial offer of a piddling $15 million, should be commended for increasing the government's pledge to $350 million. Japan quickly followed suit, raising its promised amount to $500 million from $30 million. And Norway, just yesterday, announced that it is adding $160 million to its initial pledge, for a total of about $180 million, a whopping amount from a country with a gross domestic product figure that's half the size of New Jersey's.

The foremost challenge now is to ensure that the money pledged in the glow of the media spotlight gets to the people who need it. That is the job of the United Nations, which has a chance to redeem itself after the oil-for-food scandal. It must make sure that the money is not diverted into the hands of corrupt government officials or used as a political weapon by armies waging counterinsurgency campaigns in some of the most stricken areas.

Do you write in your books or not?

2007-01-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Are you a Preservationist or a Footprint leaver. BTW, I write in my books but.... if I think I will resell it I try not to because of resale value. I am prone to write BS! next to something I think is ....bogus. Writing helps me connect with the writer - an opportunity to really agree or disagree with their content. I also am amazed at how many mistakes books have that should have been caught with a good proof reader - these are bestsellers too! I always mark these as a mark of my superior intelligence. "

Enough of the Western/Colorado Land protection -

2007-01-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Rocky Mountain News (02/05/2001) carried an article on Gale Norton's possible influence in the Government on Western Land Issues. The article included a table on how much land in Colorado is under Federal Government oversight. If you added up the four categories of land in Colorado the total size was 23.6 million acres. By itself this number is meaningless; is it too big or ...? Now compare it to the total land in Colorado (not mentioned in the article) and the number takes on some significance; the federally controlled land in Colorado is 35.4% of the total land available! Note that this does not include state controlled land - I assume that we in the state have some control over this. Should we stand by and let more of our land go to the federal government? If so, how much is reasonable? My suggestion is that the Western states should start making the case that some land in the Eastern states must need protecting too - is it any less valuable than the Western Lands? My guess is that it is much harder to obtain because it has already been built on, etc. But, in any case we need to set a limit on how much of our state that the federal government can 'protect' from our decisions on how best to use our own land. 35% seems enough to me - how about you?

Use the picture attached to draw a line somewhere that slices a pie of one-third - is it enough? Don't be tempted to give Eastern Colorado away!!!

Federally Owned Land - How much is Enough?

2007-01-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

The federal government owns about 650 million acres of natural resource lands. This represents 28% of all land in the US. If you add state owned land the percentage increases to 32%. The map above (stolen from Tom Tancredo's website!) depicts the land owned by the Federal Government - the picture is real clear. Aside from a few million acres managed by the Department of Defense, those lands are nearly all managed by four agencies, three of which are in the Department of the Interior: The most valuable lands are the 192 million acres of national forests managed by the Forest Service, which is in the Department of Agriculture; The most extensive lands are the 270 million acres managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of the Department of the Interior; The most famous lands are the 80 million acres of parks, monuments, historic sites, and recreation and other areas managed by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior; The most obscure lands are the 90 million acres of fish and wildlife refuges managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also in the Department of the Interior. A vast majority of those lands, including more than 75 percent of the national forest acres, more than 90 percent of the national park acres, and more than 99 percent of the BLM acres, are located in the 12 western states including Alaska. This map depicts the federal government land and does a good job of showing how much of the West is owned/controlled by the US government. While almost everybody agrees that the US Government does a lousy job of land management - their increasing land acquisition program continues. I am excited about Gale Norton's cabinet appointment - we need a westerner with a states rights approach to manage this. I was in Tucson, AZ a few years ago on a 4 wheel jeep ride on federal land. The jeep driver bragged! that 92% of Arizona was owned by the state and federal governments. I told him it was a waste of perfectly good land and he got furious - it seems the politically correct view is that the US government will protect us from all the 'capitalists' who will wreck the environment.

Talent versus Substance - Eminem

2007-01-04T11:37:00.000-07:00

I sat down today and wrote an email to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (Parent organization of the Grammy's) who recently nominated controversial rapster Eminem in four categories including best album of the year. The email is as follows:
Members,
In light of the four Grammy nominations for the controversial 'artist' Eminem, maybe you should re-read your mission established in 1957: "The Academy's mission statement is simple, but represents the heart and soul of the organization's efforts: to positively impact the lives of musicians, industry members and our society at large."
His lyrics aimed at teens is nothing but trash intended to incite hatred and violence toward women, mothers, homosexuals, etc. Remind us again how this reflects your mission to "positively impact the lives of our society at large"? Better yet, why don't you display his lyrics on the upcoming Grammy Awards show - oh yes, the TV stations couldn't actually show it! Are you starting to get it? I wonder what the founding members of the Academy would think of this?

Let me encourage you to also email them with your views. Grammy Email Address

Listening to the various interviews today, I was intrigued with the attempt to separate his 'talent' from his lyrics/message. One of the members who voted for him defended his great talent while she agreed that his lyrics were disturbing. Today's society has an ever-increasing tendency to separate actual substance from the exciting, titillating veneer. Read the following which I have copied from the Academy's website: The Recording Academy.
"The Recording Academy is also a cofounder of the National Coalition for Music Education, an advocacy group of music educators and professionals who promote the value of music education, as well as the influence of music and the other arts on child development on a national, state and local level, and a champion for the powerful healing influence of music therapy and its importance as a medical treatment."
How can anyone of sound mind see that this does nothing to help 'child development' and in fact provides a dangerous message to our teens in their most formative years. How far are we yet to go?

Too many in Bible School?

2007-01-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Grammy Awards・

Maybe you saw her on the Grammy Award show - Jennifer Lopez wore what was best described as a scarf on stage - the scarf did little to hide anything. As I thought of this during the week I am reminded again of Bill Bennet's words in his best-selling book, 'The Death of Moral Outrage'. He stated as a premise that there is a drop-off of moral outrage at what is happening in our society - the silence I heard the week following was deafening. What will come next - total nudity during the 'family hour' on TV? - I wonder then what will be the response?
So then - what to do? It would appear that we in the church ought to do more in encouraging our teens to consider a career in acting, journalism AND full-time religious service. While religious service is the highest calling, aren't some of our teens called to making a difference in Hollywood, The New York Times and the Internet? Franky Schaeffer made a case for this in his book; 'A Time for Anger (p46)'. He writes, "It is time for journalism to become a Christian mission field. Time for Christian writers to transform this monolithic system from within and restore truth to the machinery of the press. Time for more Christians to be in Journalism school and fewer in Bible school". He thought we had enough Christian Books and Movies (that are not read by the non-Christians) and that we needed some secular works done by Christian writers and musicians. Our church (and many other Nazarene churches) give a scholarship if you go to a church sponsored school but not if you go to a secular school - is this a clear message by the church? Take time to encourage students in secular colleges too - let them know how important their voice is and that they have a very important mission field!