JaBbA's Hut

There's been a lot of really really stupid things happening out there. The wingnut Right is just getting crazier and crazier, led by the pied pipers of idiocy Rush and Beck and all the other professional rabble-rousers.

But this whole thing about not letting kids see the talk by the President of the United States just really freakin' annoys me. I've been shaking my head at the rampant stupidity that is being shown in this country. And I was getting ready to really really have a good rant.

Then I came across this:

Finally, consider the message that you're sending to your kid. Here's the message: "If you so much as think that you are going to disagree with what someone has to say (even if that person is the President of the United States of America), you don't have to give that person the time of day." Let me know how that message tastes when it's reheated and served back to you when your kid is a teenager.

And I realized he said it better than I could. So JaBbA says go read the whole thing.

Oh, yeah. It's not that I ever left. I just kinda needed to take a break. We'll see what happens. I've got some things to say - meantime, follow me on Twitter if you want.

Well, that didn't take long.

McCain ended his very funny speech last night with this:

I don't want it getting out of this room, but my opponent is an impressive fellow in many ways. Political opponents can have a little trouble seeing the best in each other. But I've had a few glimpses of this man at his best and I admire his great skill, energy and determination. It's not for nothing, but he's inspired many folks in his own party and beyond. Senator Obama talks about making history and he's made quite a bit of it already. There was a time when the mere invitation of an African-American citizen to dine at the White House was taken as an outrage and an insult. Today is a world away from the cruelty and prideful bigotry of that time - and good riddance. I can't wish my opponent luck, but I do wish him well.

His campaign is now making robocalls with this:

You need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers, whose organization bombed the U.S. Capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home, and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the judgment to lead our country.

And this:

I'm calling on behalf of John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama and his Democrat allies in the Illinois Senate opposed a bill requiring doctors to care for babies born alive after surviving attempted abortions -- a position at odds even with John Kerry and Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama and his liberal Democrats are too extreme for America. Please vote -- vote for the candidates who share our values. This call was paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National Committee at 202 863 8500.

It's not quite "He fathered a black baby" (which would be odd considering the circumstances) and "Cindy McCain has a drug problem" (both of which happened in 2000, thanks to Karl Rove) but we've got 19 days left. It could get there.

I keep getting emails about AOL's "Email Tax" from good, progressive organizations.

Bush is spying on Americans. The NeoCon's are plotting to consolidate their party in the 2006 elections. Soldiers are dying in Iraq. Why the HELL are they wasting their time on this?

Look, AOL is a private company. Yes, they're huge. But there IS competition.

They are NOT going to create an "Inferior Service" for people who don't pay. What they are doing is responding to a real need - how to get legitimate business emails to their customers without allowing the SPAM. Businesses will be paying for the privilege of bypassing the SPAM filters - and they will get that right by subscribing to good business email practices. If people ask to be taken off the list, they will get off the list.

This isn't a "Tax". It's a business-class email. Like business-class seats on flights. And they'll pay for it. And personal emails will continue to be allowed. And if people sign up for newsletters from non-profits, AOL will recognize that the address is in the recipient's address book and will deliver the message.

And if people don't like it, then go to the competition. Earthlink, NetZero, etc., etc., etc.....

So let's get back to the real issues, OK?

UPDATE
[name dropping] My old friend John Levine [/name dropping] agrees with me

The idea of a mega-database is Bad Enough:

To help the government track suspected terrorists and spies who may be visiting or residing in this country, the FBI and the Defense Department for the past three years have been paying a Georgia-based company for access to its vast databases that contain billions of personal records about nearly every person -- citizens and noncitizens alike -- in the United States.

But the name of that Georgia Company?

Choicepoint.

32,000 consumers personal information including names, addresses and Social Security numbers were illegally accessed by using the user name and passwords of a company that has a contract with the data aggregator.

While gas prices go through the roof and oil companies report record profits, they are telling congress that they are making the same amount of money on the revenue they are bringing in. How can they do this?

Well, it all depends on what the meaning of "same amount". You and I, when we sell 100 units of something that costs us 50 units, make a profit of 50 cents. (nice margin, by the way!) If wholesale prices go up, we raise our prices accordingly, and continue to make 50 cents on sales of 100 units:


We make the same amount of income based upon the same volume of sales. The oil industry, however, does this:



They now make 100 cent profit on sales of 100 units - but by their accounting, their margin is still 100%, so they make "the same amount of income on the amount of revenue". It's gouging, but nobody in Congress is calling them on it.

JaBbA says shame. And highly recommends the book "How to Lie with Statistics"

UPDATE Yes, I know the book was written in 1954, and finds an annual income of $25,111 to be the road to riches. The numbers are dated - the lessons are apt. It's still the best way I know to get someone to stop taking numbers at face value.

Yesterday, I went to vote. I know where to vote, but there are three precincts in my polling place, and I'm never sure which one I'm in. I've suggested every year they put a simple map or chart on the wall that shows where the precinct boundaries are so people can figure out what line to get in. Ignored, every year.

Luckily (but unhappily), there was no line. So I went to the first place and asked "Is my street in this precinct?". They asked for my name, I gave it to them, but said again "Can you first tell me if my street is in this district?". As they fruitlessly looked for my name in the book, I repeated myself AGAIN, and they finally flipped to the back of the book. Looking at the street names, I knew I was in the wrong line, and went to the next line.

I went through the same routine, except this time I said "Please look in the back of the book and tell me if my street is in this precinct". Answer? "What is your name?" as they fruitlessly search for me in the front of the book. I finally reached over, turned the book over, opened the last page and noted that I was not in this precinct. The poll worker looked at me dumbfounded.

During the presidential election, I saw at least 3 people wait 45 minutes or more in line, only to find they were in the wrong line - same polling place, and many of the same poll workers.

Don't people ever bother to learn?

During his Rose Garden news conference, W not only used the wrong word but then he went on to define it for reporters, apparently because he interepreted the puzzled looks on the reporters faces to mean they didn't know his fancy new word:

disassemble - that means not to tell the truth.

dis·as·sem·ble
v. dis·as·sem·bled, dis·as·sem·bling, dis·as·sem·bles
v. tr.

To take apart: disassemble a toaster.


dis·sem·ble
v. dis·sem·bled, dis·sem·bling, dis·sem·bles
v. tr.

1. To disguise or conceal behind a false appearance. See Synonyms at disguise.
2. To make a false show of; feign.

Cleveland Hts has this nice new utility for doing your city taxes. Use the PIN number sent on your tax forms, log into the city website, click the link (which goes to a service bureau of some kind - 'citytaxtools.com'. you didn't think they'd actually do this on their own, did you?), fill out some info, and presto! A completely filled out city tax form to send in.

Pretty nice, really.

Except they made an amateur mistake. Used floating numbers internally, displayed decimals to the hundredths, and ended up telling me that $.79 minus $.45 = $.35.

That's pretty basic coding practices that are being forgotten here. Always check the rounding error.

The Census Bureau's 2003 poverty report identified Cleveland as having the highest poverty rate among US big cities.

Nearly 1/3 of households in Cleveland are in poverty. That's higher than New York, Chicago, LA.

Clearly, the "end of the recession" hasn't reached us yet.

Help!

Carlos Boozer, All-Star power forward for the Cavs and Olympian, was signed for $700k next year. The Cavs agreed to waive it, and Carols said he'd immediately sign a 6-year, $42M deal - the largest deal the Cavs are allowed to offer.

So as soon as he's a restricted free agent, he agrees to a 6-year, $68M deal with the Jazz.

How the hell can you spend $42M, much less $68M? What's the difference?

All of Cleveland thought Boozer was different. But he's said "Show me the money" as soon as the Cavs did the Right Thing (tm). Never again will I criticize a team for holding on to a player, rather than giving him a raise.

And people wonder why Cleveland sports fans are the most pessimistic people in sports. Other than LeBron, this is what happens to us EVERY TIME.

A 13-year-old in Texas showed the kind of curiosity and ability that we should be encouraging in our kids. Presented with a complex system, he explored it's capabilities, applying ideas he had been shown in new ways.

For his efforts, he's been suspended.

Carl Grimmer's father had showed him some of the capabilities of DOS...including Lan Manager and the 'net send' command.

So working on the system at school, he decided to see if it still worked on more modern systems.

net send Hey!

That's hacking....in the classic sense. Exploring a system, trying to extend it's capabilities. And it's a COMPLETELY benign test - on which his father taught him.

But I guess in Texas, hacking is hacking.

So kids, quit exploring and learning, and go watch TV like good citizens.