Thursday, October 16, 2008
Only one flag pin at last night's debate - and who was wearing it
Did anyone else notice that McCain was not wearing a flag pin, and Obama was?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Nervous Leg Syndrome? You heard it here first.
Restless leg syndrome can be caused caused, in some cases, by diet drinks. Lay off the diet coke or pepsi for a day, or switch to regular, and see if this is the case for you.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Auto Updates are Sapping our Nation's Strength
OK, Veep debate, yawn. I've got something important to talk about. An Andy Roonie moment, if you will.
If you use a computer to any extent, by now you've gotten used to automatic updates. I just got one today from Apple, offering to update the updater software itself. Not any actual product, mind you, but the software that is supposed to update the product (Quicktime, in this case) that you happen to be using.
I'm probably fairly typical in that I get about one of these little gems every three days. A good part of the time they require that my system be rebooted. I do my work on my computer, so there's generally a lot of stuff running, so shutdown. Call the basic shutdown time 7 minutes.
Then the reboot happens, and another set of updaters check with Mamma to see if they need any updates - my HP printer driver does this. So about 1/3 of the time, I am invited to reboot again. Let's add 2 more minutes, and our total is 7 + 2 = 9 minutes.
And to get everything started up again, as it was before, 7 minutes. Total 7 + 2 + 9 = 16 minutes time spent to update.
17 minutes every three days comes out to 17/3 * 365 = 34 hours per year. I'm going to assign an average value of 40 dollars per hour for our time, as Americans, bringing the total dollar cost of these updates to $1378.00 per year.
According to one study there are about 1 computers for every 10 people in America. Since there are 300 million people, that's 30 million computers. This brings our grand total to just over 30,000,000 * 1378 = 30 billion dollars a year, just for wasted time due to automatic updates.
Automatic updates are a sort of "time tax" that is taken out of the hide of each and every one of us who sits and waits for these silly updates to happen. Thirty billion dollars a year ain't hay.
What can you do? Plenty. I suggest that you finish an automatic update, check your calendar. If the date is an odd number, take an extra minute, and fire off an email to the manufacturer of the software that is asking for the update to:
1) Allow automatic updates to be disabled completely, and rely only on manual updates.
2) Notify you ahead of time if a restart will be required.
3) Provide an option to check for updates at night, and reboot automatically
Spread the word - 30 billion a year is not pocket change.
If you use a computer to any extent, by now you've gotten used to automatic updates. I just got one today from Apple, offering to update the updater software itself. Not any actual product, mind you, but the software that is supposed to update the product (Quicktime, in this case) that you happen to be using.
I'm probably fairly typical in that I get about one of these little gems every three days. A good part of the time they require that my system be rebooted. I do my work on my computer, so there's generally a lot of stuff running, so shutdown. Call the basic shutdown time 7 minutes.
Then the reboot happens, and another set of updaters check with Mamma to see if they need any updates - my HP printer driver does this. So about 1/3 of the time, I am invited to reboot again. Let's add 2 more minutes, and our total is 7 + 2 = 9 minutes.
And to get everything started up again, as it was before, 7 minutes. Total 7 + 2 + 9 = 16 minutes time spent to update.
17 minutes every three days comes out to 17/3 * 365 = 34 hours per year. I'm going to assign an average value of 40 dollars per hour for our time, as Americans, bringing the total dollar cost of these updates to $1378.00 per year.
According to one study there are about 1 computers for every 10 people in America. Since there are 300 million people, that's 30 million computers. This brings our grand total to just over 30,000,000 * 1378 = 30 billion dollars a year, just for wasted time due to automatic updates.
Automatic updates are a sort of "time tax" that is taken out of the hide of each and every one of us who sits and waits for these silly updates to happen. Thirty billion dollars a year ain't hay.
What can you do? Plenty. I suggest that you finish an automatic update, check your calendar. If the date is an odd number, take an extra minute, and fire off an email to the manufacturer of the software that is asking for the update to:
1) Allow automatic updates to be disabled completely, and rely only on manual updates.
2) Notify you ahead of time if a restart will be required.
3) Provide an option to check for updates at night, and reboot automatically
Spread the word - 30 billion a year is not pocket change.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The mother of all bailouts - spare me, please
Ok -bear with me a bit for an analogy. Suppose you live in a dorm, and you wake up one morning and find out your wallet is gone. Freak out city, am I right? You bump into your roomate at lunch and ask him if he's seen your wallet.
"Oh, I thought I might need some money for the movie tonight," he says, "so I took your wallet just in case."
Which of these would your answer be:
Number two corresponds, in more ways than one, to the current plan that was almost approved by the Senate and congress yesterday. Let's blithely forget that it was naughty, in the first place, for Paulsen to ask to steal our wallet by suggesting we give him the money to dole out, free and clear, to anyone he chose. But then we give him the money anyway, perhaps with some caveats about how to spend it. You're a chump if you picked this alternative. Yes, you will have your wallet, but it will be perpetually empty.
Number three - let's have a sit down about the very idea that the Bush administration, in the person of Paulsen, even contemplated for a millisecond, that it had the power, and the right, to hand out money to anyone - friends, foes, and others - with absolutely no plan presented and no accountability.
Once that long conversation is done - and Paulsen replaced as a good will gesture to clear the air - we can move on to talk about why we suddenly need to "give away" nearly a trillion dollars for what might or not help the economy.
There is one more important lesson to glean from the roomate analogy. Roomates do not give their money away to each other. And there lies the path to an acceptable solution. Lend the money to institutions with cash flow problems, and have them pay it back later.
Now, back to our regular problem - er program.
"Oh, I thought I might need some money for the movie tonight," he says, "so I took your wallet just in case."
Which of these would your answer be:
- "Oh, sure."
- "I'll give you the money, but I'd like to have my wallet back."
- "Roommate, give me my wallet back right now. And, don't do this again. Then we can talk about how much money you get."
Number two corresponds, in more ways than one, to the current plan that was almost approved by the Senate and congress yesterday. Let's blithely forget that it was naughty, in the first place, for Paulsen to ask to steal our wallet by suggesting we give him the money to dole out, free and clear, to anyone he chose. But then we give him the money anyway, perhaps with some caveats about how to spend it. You're a chump if you picked this alternative. Yes, you will have your wallet, but it will be perpetually empty.
Number three - let's have a sit down about the very idea that the Bush administration, in the person of Paulsen, even contemplated for a millisecond, that it had the power, and the right, to hand out money to anyone - friends, foes, and others - with absolutely no plan presented and no accountability.
Once that long conversation is done - and Paulsen replaced as a good will gesture to clear the air - we can move on to talk about why we suddenly need to "give away" nearly a trillion dollars for what might or not help the economy.
There is one more important lesson to glean from the roomate analogy. Roomates do not give their money away to each other. And there lies the path to an acceptable solution. Lend the money to institutions with cash flow problems, and have them pay it back later.
Now, back to our regular problem - er program.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
OK, Obama and McCain, pick one: CSPAN or Palin
Recently McCain suggested that both he and Obama postpone the debate this Friday so that they could both return to their senatorial duties, and concentrate on the economic crisis.
Nope. Now, more than ever, Americans need to take the measure of their new president, so I have a better answer. Obama and McCain should debate the old fashioned way: on the Senate floor, with the Majority leader presiding, and questions and participation from the rest of the senate.
We're already set up with CSPAN coverage - it will shoot their ratings through the roof. Maybe it will be catching, and we'll start having meaningful, dramatic discussions in our highest body of government.
Everyone take your places, and let er rip!
That - or send Palin in there. If she can handle the presidency, she should be able to handle this debate.
Nope. Now, more than ever, Americans need to take the measure of their new president, so I have a better answer. Obama and McCain should debate the old fashioned way: on the Senate floor, with the Majority leader presiding, and questions and participation from the rest of the senate.
We're already set up with CSPAN coverage - it will shoot their ratings through the roof. Maybe it will be catching, and we'll start having meaningful, dramatic discussions in our highest body of government.
Everyone take your places, and let er rip!
That - or send Palin in there. If she can handle the presidency, she should be able to handle this debate.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Easy solutions to hard problems 1: solving the national debt
Talk about pesky problems, the national debt has had us scratching our heads for years. I'm pleased to say I have an answer for ya.
Here's a plan that I'll implement if I ever get around to becoming prez. We use a technique developed by our own corporations. In a nutshell, it is this: consolidate our debt in one state, and then spin that state off as a separate country, which does the equivalent of filing chapter 11.
1) The state of Texas has an open secret that most Americans don't know about. As most lone star natives are aware, Texas has the option of splitting (or MIRVing if you will) at any time into five states, each with equal representation in the Senate. The boundaries of that split are to be determined by Texas. So Texas splits off four tiny states, perhaps with some gulf shore access, and we name one of them the "State of War".
2) An act of congress is passed, ceding all of our military assets, including most of the national debt, to the State of War. In reality, we cook the books to give the State of War only the debt, and very few assets - a few Sherman tanks, A10 wart hogs, fizzled nukes and chemical weapons, and any bond issues we don't feel like honoring. Plenty of corporate types - maybe some ex ENRON folks, would offer to do this work for us either pro bono, or bill it to the State of War.
3) The State of War declares independence, and immediately files chapter 11. Let the UN, the Hague, or whomever, take over receivership, and see about paying off the creditors.
4) Then we have a big party, and thank Texas for helping out in a time of need.
5) Oh, and the other three extra states are spares. For the time being, they can be loaded with Indian run casinos until we need to deal with future problems. For example, when welfare goes belly up in 35 years, we can create a "State of Unemployment", and pass all the debt and blame off to that tiny country.
Next time: a no-fault system for declaring and fighting wars.
--
Mike Russell - mike.russell-home.net
Here's a plan that I'll implement if I ever get around to becoming prez. We use a technique developed by our own corporations. In a nutshell, it is this: consolidate our debt in one state, and then spin that state off as a separate country, which does the equivalent of filing chapter 11.
1) The state of Texas has an open secret that most Americans don't know about. As most lone star natives are aware, Texas has the option of splitting (or MIRVing if you will) at any time into five states, each with equal representation in the Senate. The boundaries of that split are to be determined by Texas. So Texas splits off four tiny states, perhaps with some gulf shore access, and we name one of them the "State of War".
2) An act of congress is passed, ceding all of our military assets, including most of the national debt, to the State of War. In reality, we cook the books to give the State of War only the debt, and very few assets - a few Sherman tanks, A10 wart hogs, fizzled nukes and chemical weapons, and any bond issues we don't feel like honoring. Plenty of corporate types - maybe some ex ENRON folks, would offer to do this work for us either pro bono, or bill it to the State of War.
3) The State of War declares independence, and immediately files chapter 11. Let the UN, the Hague, or whomever, take over receivership, and see about paying off the creditors.
4) Then we have a big party, and thank Texas for helping out in a time of need.
5) Oh, and the other three extra states are spares. For the time being, they can be loaded with Indian run casinos until we need to deal with future problems. For example, when welfare goes belly up in 35 years, we can create a "State of Unemployment", and pass all the debt and blame off to that tiny country.
Next time: a no-fault system for declaring and fighting wars.
--
Mike Russell - mike.russell-home.net
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Singapore, Dec 9 and 10
Dec 9 - today was a travel day, starting off with the treat of seeing Angkor Wat from the air after our flight circled south to head for Singapore. We arrived in the afternoon a bit of time for roaming around in the rather heavy rain. Dinner at a Chinese food market that had a great variety of foods, though a bit crowded and noisy as the popular ones seem to be.
Dec 10 - Bird zoo--long MRT ride and then bus ride. Good but very wet visit. We skipped the simulated "Tropical Thunderstorm" show, since the real thing was happening. While the rain kept the birds down somewhat, it was still great. The bird zoo has huge walk-in atria filled with tropical vegetation, waterfalls, birds--and rain shelters and thunder and lightning.
The night zoo was even better, although still wet enough to keep some of the animals in their dens. Unlike the botanical garden (good, reasonably priced food), the night zoo food was so-so and expensive. The tram ride is good, partially because it goes places you can't walk, and partially because it is fairly dry. The bats were fantastic. The flying squirrels were good too--one brushed by Ann's head! The whole place is wonderfully atmospheric and the temperature was great. We took the last bus/MRT back--long( 1 hr versus 20 minutes) and not really worth it unless you are short on money or long on local color, but comfortable enough and it worked.
Small Internet victory after returning from the night zoo: I wired up a USB wifi adapter on on long cable around to the back wall of the hotel, with a wire creeping out one of our windows, sealed against air conditioning. The result appears to be a reliable Internet connection. To celebrate this newly robust Internet connection, I uploaded my picture to www.scroogeyourself.com. You are welcome to view it at your leisure here:
http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=1258251071
Tomorrow we do a few things in Singapore, then head for the airport at 2pm.
Dec 10 - Bird zoo--long MRT ride and then bus ride. Good but very wet visit. We skipped the simulated "Tropical Thunderstorm" show, since the real thing was happening. While the rain kept the birds down somewhat, it was still great. The bird zoo has huge walk-in atria filled with tropical vegetation, waterfalls, birds--and rain shelters and thunder and lightning.
The night zoo was even better, although still wet enough to keep some of the animals in their dens. Unlike the botanical garden (good, reasonably priced food), the night zoo food was so-so and expensive. The tram ride is good, partially because it goes places you can't walk, and partially because it is fairly dry. The bats were fantastic. The flying squirrels were good too--one brushed by Ann's head! The whole place is wonderfully atmospheric and the temperature was great. We took the last bus/MRT back--long( 1 hr versus 20 minutes) and not really worth it unless you are short on money or long on local color, but comfortable enough and it worked.
Small Internet victory after returning from the night zoo: I wired up a USB wifi adapter on on long cable around to the back wall of the hotel, with a wire creeping out one of our windows, sealed against air conditioning. The result appears to be a reliable Internet connection. To celebrate this newly robust Internet connection, I uploaded my picture to www.scroogeyourself.com. You are welcome to view it at your leisure here:
http://www.scroogeyourself.com/?id=1258251071
Tomorrow we do a few things in Singapore, then head for the airport at 2pm.
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