I hope everyone is safe.
If there are few deaths, then we should thank the National Hurricane Center and NOAA for their excellent prediction of when and where the storm would hit. It is not possible to close the New York Stock Exchange and the subways if one is not almost certain of the time of the storm's arrival.
It is really too bad that these kinds of accurate predictions will soon disappear, because the Republicans did not think that it was necessary to replace our aging weather satellites In fact, Romney believes that the damages from these storms can be addressed by the insurance industry and the state governments. I live in California, and am glad that California's federal taxes will be used to provide help to those who lost everything in the storm surge.
I am mourning the sinking of "The Bounty" and the loss of a crew member. Luckily, the US Coast Guard was able to rescue most of the crew.
Did you know that "The Bounty" was also known as "The Black Pearl"? Of course, it is likely that the ghost of "The Black Pearl" will be seen sailing the high seas on Halloween Night.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
YES ON PROPOSITION 40
It is necessary to vote yes on Proposition 40. A YES keeps the excellent redistricting that we have finally achieved.
If you vote 'no' on Prop 40, the California Supreme Court will appoint the redistricting people. This will result in the California Supreme Court being unable to rule on redistricting because they will have a legal conflict of interest. Then the only people able to rule on redistricting will be the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
It is amazing how stupid the proponents of Proposition 40 were. They did not notice the nasty side effect until they had already spent millions on qualifying the Proposition for the ballot. BTW, I am extremely proud of the engineer who spotted this problem.
I am voting YES on Propositions 30, 34, 36, and 40. I am voting NO on all the other propositions.
It is really too bad that the sex trafficking law was so badly written. But good ideas are not enough. You have to very carefully write law so that the effects are what you want. Perhaps we can get the new legislature to pass a sex trafficking act that is reasonable and effective. Food labeling has to be done at the federal level or it really hurts California farmers. The food proposition is also fairly illogical.
If you pass a bad proposition, the legislature is unable to fix the problem. This is because propositions trump laws passed by the legislature.
If you vote 'no' on Prop 40, the California Supreme Court will appoint the redistricting people. This will result in the California Supreme Court being unable to rule on redistricting because they will have a legal conflict of interest. Then the only people able to rule on redistricting will be the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
It is amazing how stupid the proponents of Proposition 40 were. They did not notice the nasty side effect until they had already spent millions on qualifying the Proposition for the ballot. BTW, I am extremely proud of the engineer who spotted this problem.
I am voting YES on Propositions 30, 34, 36, and 40. I am voting NO on all the other propositions.
It is really too bad that the sex trafficking law was so badly written. But good ideas are not enough. You have to very carefully write law so that the effects are what you want. Perhaps we can get the new legislature to pass a sex trafficking act that is reasonable and effective. Food labeling has to be done at the federal level or it really hurts California farmers. The food proposition is also fairly illogical.
If you pass a bad proposition, the legislature is unable to fix the problem. This is because propositions trump laws passed by the legislature.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
WOMEN, MEN, AND BIRTH CONTROL
Birth control is not just an issue for women.
Now that child support agencies have DNA tests, men and boys are held financially responsible for any child with their DNA. Even sixteen year old boys can become responsible for 18 years of child support payments. It no longer matters if the girl or woman had several lovers. The lover with the correct DNA will be paying child support. Even if the man used birth control, such as a condom, if the child has the man's DNA, the man will be paying child support.
VP candidate Ryan believes that birth control is a sin. He will always be working to kill Planned Parenthood. (Planned Parenthood helps people plan how many children they want and when, and provides needed health care.)
Romney is still supporting a US Senate candidate who believes that a pregnancy resulting from rape is a gift from God. (Unless Romney has again changed his mind regarding this issue. Romney says one thing to the Tea Party and another thing to the rest of us.)
YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAID SIX MONTHS AGO, BECAUSE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING NOW IS WHAT THEY THINK YOU WANT TO HEAR.
If you believe in a woman's right to control her own body, then you should vote for President Obama.
Now that child support agencies have DNA tests, men and boys are held financially responsible for any child with their DNA. Even sixteen year old boys can become responsible for 18 years of child support payments. It no longer matters if the girl or woman had several lovers. The lover with the correct DNA will be paying child support. Even if the man used birth control, such as a condom, if the child has the man's DNA, the man will be paying child support.
VP candidate Ryan believes that birth control is a sin. He will always be working to kill Planned Parenthood. (Planned Parenthood helps people plan how many children they want and when, and provides needed health care.)
Romney is still supporting a US Senate candidate who believes that a pregnancy resulting from rape is a gift from God. (Unless Romney has again changed his mind regarding this issue. Romney says one thing to the Tea Party and another thing to the rest of us.)
YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAID SIX MONTHS AGO, BECAUSE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING NOW IS WHAT THEY THINK YOU WANT TO HEAR.
If you believe in a woman's right to control her own body, then you should vote for President Obama.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
DANGEROUS IGNORANCE
Last night, Romney made two statements that showed dangerous ignorance.
1. He said that Iran needed a route to the sea through Syria. How can one even hope to make a rational decision regarding strategy, when one is woefully ignorant about geography?
2. He said that he balanced his budgets at Bain and the Olympics and therefore could balance the US budget. He does not seem to understand that Bain balanced its budget with borrowed money.
If one is so ignorant about money that one does not understand that you BORROW money from INVESTORS, how can one hope to make a rational decision about national budgetary issues. It is actually kind of fun to realize that when you deposit money in a bank, you are actually investing in the bank. (Too bad the cost of accounting for your money equals the interest payable on your money.)
It is not possible to explain accounting in one or two paragraphs. However, when you borrow $200,000 to buy a house, your personal balance sheet shows a $200,000 debt and a $200,000 asset.
One of the main things investors look for when deciding to invest in something is the debt to asset ratio (debt to equity ratio is looking at assets that can be quickly sold). Investors generally do not like first time borrowers as the borrower may not understand the necessity to repay the money.
The US debt to equity ratio is MUCH LESS than the debt to equity ratio of people and businesses in the US. I have never understood why Republicans believe that corporations are allowed to borrow money but governments are not allowed to borrow money.
I am really tired of the "road to Greece" comment. I think all democratic countries need to remember that they are "on the road FROM Greece".
1. He said that Iran needed a route to the sea through Syria. How can one even hope to make a rational decision regarding strategy, when one is woefully ignorant about geography?
2. He said that he balanced his budgets at Bain and the Olympics and therefore could balance the US budget. He does not seem to understand that Bain balanced its budget with borrowed money.
If one is so ignorant about money that one does not understand that you BORROW money from INVESTORS, how can one hope to make a rational decision about national budgetary issues. It is actually kind of fun to realize that when you deposit money in a bank, you are actually investing in the bank. (Too bad the cost of accounting for your money equals the interest payable on your money.)
It is not possible to explain accounting in one or two paragraphs. However, when you borrow $200,000 to buy a house, your personal balance sheet shows a $200,000 debt and a $200,000 asset.
One of the main things investors look for when deciding to invest in something is the debt to asset ratio (debt to equity ratio is looking at assets that can be quickly sold). Investors generally do not like first time borrowers as the borrower may not understand the necessity to repay the money.
The US debt to equity ratio is MUCH LESS than the debt to equity ratio of people and businesses in the US. I have never understood why Republicans believe that corporations are allowed to borrow money but governments are not allowed to borrow money.
I am really tired of the "road to Greece" comment. I think all democratic countries need to remember that they are "on the road FROM Greece".
Friday, October 19, 2012
I TRUST JERRY
I trust Jerry Brown and am going to vote for Proposition 30. I do NOT recommend any other tax proposition because our constitution is already a horrible mess regarding taxes. Conflicting tax propositions are making running California really difficult. I think the other tax measures have a hidden nasty secondary effect.
I have followed Jerry Brown's career for 40 years. I have never known him to recommend anything stupid. He has brains, education, experience and a nose for hidden agendas.
I am going to VOTE AGAINST stopping UNION donations. If you want to know what life would be like without unions, ask the South African platinum miners.
I am voting to end the death penalty and to reform three strikes. I am voting against the term limit proposition.
I always read what the people against the proposition write. Be very careful of hidden secondary effects.
I think it is best to vote against propositions unless they are recommended by persons or organizations that you trust.
I have followed Jerry Brown's career for 40 years. I have never known him to recommend anything stupid. He has brains, education, experience and a nose for hidden agendas.
I am going to VOTE AGAINST stopping UNION donations. If you want to know what life would be like without unions, ask the South African platinum miners.
I am voting to end the death penalty and to reform three strikes. I am voting against the term limit proposition.
I always read what the people against the proposition write. Be very careful of hidden secondary effects.
I think it is best to vote against propositions unless they are recommended by persons or organizations that you trust.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
ROMNEY AND WOMEN
Yah. Yah. The women in binders joke is very funny.
What is more important is that Romney doesn't see that when he hires women it is not enough. Statistics show that women are paid less and promoted less often than men. It is the overall decision making regarding working women that is important.
Saying, "I hired a woman," is like saying, "I have a friend who is a Jew." Admirable, but not a solution to discrimination.
Women scientists have often complained of unequal treatment. To show the women that they were incorrect, a major university did a study. To their surprise, they found that women scientists were routinely given fewer resources than men. This was true even for women researchers who brought in their own research grants.
Discriminatory practices are done by individuals who often decide to have a clone of themselves promoted.
In order to fight this sort of discrimination, management needs to be trained, HR needs to pre-screen candidates, and statistics need to be kept. The only way to show a pattern of discrimination is to keep and report the numbers of people hired, the numbers of women hired, and the number of minorities hired. The same must be done for promotions.
Additionally, I believe that the US should make a course in non-discrimination mandatory before a person can get a work related visa.
I once taught a equal opportunity course to employees of a large engineering company. It was amazing to discover how ignorant of the law engineers could be. It was equally amazing to see how fast the engineers learned.
BTW, promoting beautiful women is not enough. In almost all endeavors, brains and education are more important than beauty and charm.
What is more important is that Romney doesn't see that when he hires women it is not enough. Statistics show that women are paid less and promoted less often than men. It is the overall decision making regarding working women that is important.
Saying, "I hired a woman," is like saying, "I have a friend who is a Jew." Admirable, but not a solution to discrimination.
Women scientists have often complained of unequal treatment. To show the women that they were incorrect, a major university did a study. To their surprise, they found that women scientists were routinely given fewer resources than men. This was true even for women researchers who brought in their own research grants.
Discriminatory practices are done by individuals who often decide to have a clone of themselves promoted.
In order to fight this sort of discrimination, management needs to be trained, HR needs to pre-screen candidates, and statistics need to be kept. The only way to show a pattern of discrimination is to keep and report the numbers of people hired, the numbers of women hired, and the number of minorities hired. The same must be done for promotions.
Additionally, I believe that the US should make a course in non-discrimination mandatory before a person can get a work related visa.
I once taught a equal opportunity course to employees of a large engineering company. It was amazing to discover how ignorant of the law engineers could be. It was equally amazing to see how fast the engineers learned.
BTW, promoting beautiful women is not enough. In almost all endeavors, brains and education are more important than beauty and charm.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
TERRORIST JESSE JAMES?
I have a grudging admiration for the infamous outlaw Jesse James. He and his Civil War comrades continued to raid trains and banks long after the War had ended. He lived a nice middle class existence in Missouri while he robbed and murdered.
By all reports, the leader of the group that murdered our Ambassador in Libya is a kind of modern day Jesse James. The Libyan is using religion instead of racism as his excuse for murder.
Jesse was able to continue his personal war because of the sympathies of his neighbors and the governmental chaos that always follows a civil war.
Now Republicans are accusing President Obama of not providing enough security for the Ambassador. Of course, it was difficult to provide security as the House Republicans had insisted on drastically cutting the State Department's security budget.
Too many people seem to think that PRETTY WORDS mean more than BUDGETARY ACTIONS. BUDGETS ARE THE WAY WE CHOSE WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US. Security of our embassies is important to me. It should be important to us all.
Rather than blaming the President, who is not usually involved in the travel plans of an individual ambassador, we should be blaming the Republicans. The House Republicans insisted on cutting the budget for embassy security or they would not vote for the budget. This meant there was not enough money for extra security when our Libyan Ambassador traveled from the capital to visit Benghazi.
Libyans reacted to the Ambassador's death by resolving to bring to justice the groups still fighting for a private cause.
Meanwhile, the Republicans are hiding their budget agenda, saying, "Trust us." Experience should tell us that trusting Republicans is probably a very bad idea.
By all reports, the leader of the group that murdered our Ambassador in Libya is a kind of modern day Jesse James. The Libyan is using religion instead of racism as his excuse for murder.
Jesse was able to continue his personal war because of the sympathies of his neighbors and the governmental chaos that always follows a civil war.
Now Republicans are accusing President Obama of not providing enough security for the Ambassador. Of course, it was difficult to provide security as the House Republicans had insisted on drastically cutting the State Department's security budget.
Too many people seem to think that PRETTY WORDS mean more than BUDGETARY ACTIONS. BUDGETS ARE THE WAY WE CHOSE WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US. Security of our embassies is important to me. It should be important to us all.
Rather than blaming the President, who is not usually involved in the travel plans of an individual ambassador, we should be blaming the Republicans. The House Republicans insisted on cutting the budget for embassy security or they would not vote for the budget. This meant there was not enough money for extra security when our Libyan Ambassador traveled from the capital to visit Benghazi.
Libyans reacted to the Ambassador's death by resolving to bring to justice the groups still fighting for a private cause.
Meanwhile, the Republicans are hiding their budget agenda, saying, "Trust us." Experience should tell us that trusting Republicans is probably a very bad idea.
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