the working room

Searching for Work: Worldwide Consideration

2009-03-22T23:27:00.004-04:00

In the past, I would have thought, "Oh, hell no." Yet, now I am much more open and willing to consider and do it. I've put in my years of working in America. I've done my time of 15 to 20. I am free, unencumbered, and excited at the prospect of pursuing my interests in living overseas.

I am willing to go almost anywhere to live and work. I think I would prefer somewhere warm, but I would hit the cooler climates if the weather is moderate year round.

I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I was born in the UK. Out of curiosity, a lark really, I wondered, am I still a citizen? 'Cause once you are naturalized in the US they make it seem that you can't have dual citizenship. Well, at my ripe old age, I certainly am still a citizen there.

Moving to the UK wouldn't be a hard transition. I have plenty of family there. They speak, somewhat (snicker), the same language. The few times I've gone "home" it took me a few days to understand what people were saying. They air all the same horrible TV programs and movies shown here. Aside from driving on the wrong side of the road, a lot of things are pretty similar.

I am willing to do it! I need to leave America for a while. I really do. I need to miss this place. Worst of all, I'm bored with living here. The other 49 states are more of the same shit, in different places. I've visited enough of them and long enough to know.

I know a lot of Brits are fed up with their country. I don't assume the grass is greener. I probably would start to bellyache like them the minute I get there. However, they get more vacation time, and at least everyone is covered with health insurance. The draw for me, is to be somewhere very different for a period of time.

So, I've decided to expand my options to live anywhere in the Anglo-ized world (or is that the EU zone?), and I'm relaxed and rather excited about it.

Now, actually pulling this off without making a disaster of it, is my next challenge.

Intelligent Filtering of Spam

2009-02-18T11:53:00.005-05:00

I'm offended by Spam. Not because of pornographic content, it insults my intelligence. I don't care if everybody, but me, or only one person, falls for the scam. The sight of these things piss me off.

I don't care to grow a bigger penis: I don't have one. However, I would be fascinated by a software program that builds a list of names of men who do respond. Oh, that would be so telling.

I don't care to know about an unbelievably hokey story of inheritance from anyone, anywhere, and how they need help getting millions out of one country to move to another. Give me a break! I mean for real, some stranger needs your piddling bank account to hide that much money? It's a non-starter.

I especially hate e-mails that start with, "Hi, it's me Sara!" It gets deleted. I can filter my email like a fiend, because no one I know, I mean no one, sends me an email with a vague, or funky, subject line. It doesn't happen. The funniest ones are those that come from "administrator" or "admin." That's a terrific way to download a virus.

Spam is like having someone who belongs in a psych ward getting in your face on your way to work or just going somewhere. I hate overly coy, personal space invading, solicitation from strangers asking me to do something for them no matter the method, medium, or circumstance. Get out of my face online or offline.

Spammers need a sucker's rating system, that way they can send all the garbage to people who like to receive email from them.

I would love for Artificial Intelligence to be used for filtering spam. Maybe it does now. I think it's possible if it learns what the recipient wants to receive. This, to me, is intuitively different than just looking at the incoming email, addresses, and certain key words to decide what's acceptable.

For example, spam filtering should be based on a personal profile, lists of likes, dislikes and interests, then growing refinement, recognition, and understanding of these preferences. I will never, in this lifetime, want to see email about growing bigger (in any sense of the word!). Seriously, outside of boobs, what woman does?

A standard spam filter is only going to look at verboten words, phrases and email addresses. It should be able to scan the entire email, figure what the topic is about (and if it is incoherent like most spam is), and ban that email address. I would allow for double-checking to see if this type of email (same topic or category of nonsense) comes from this same address, which would insure permanent banning.

Just the thought of this type of product makes me smile. I have to look and see if it exists.

Vista and Dell Studio Laptop

2009-01-19T15:20:00.001-05:00

I bought myself a Christmas present: a refurbished 64-bit Dell Studio Laptop, 15.4" screen, massive memory of 4 Gig, 250 Gig hard drive, and all the wonderful bells and whistles, like wifi - minus all that bloated trial software. I like it so damn much, I may buy another one in a couple of months. I originally thought the screen was not going to be wide or big enough, but it is more than sufficient.

The laptop runs on Vista Home Premium, which seems to have all the features I need. It is not the headache I feared it would be. Frankly, it fixes some flukes that come with XP. It's an upgrade basically.

Yay! I always love a new PC. It's faster, it's easier to use and less of a pain-in-the-butt. My old monster box seems pathetically slow compared to the laptop.

Makes life easier for me, which is all I've ever wanted, at least in this case.

Anyhoo. This means I have to go back to the monster box (where I watch my online films via a digital projector and home theater system) and wipe it clean. I will format the hard drive and start from the beginning.

When that hard wipe will begin is another adventure sometime in the future.

The Consulting Business: Web Programming & Design

2009-01-13T14:14:00.003-05:00

The worst thing about this business for me is my shyness. It is truly an affliction. I'm an extreme introvert, and it's like trying to function under a heavy itchy blanket. No fun this.

There are a million ways to drum up business, but I'd be happier if I didn't have to sell (myself). I'm not an outgoing person, and everything in this society is geared towards the loud, outgoing extroverts who are incredibly unselfconscious.

I used to be like that, but I don't know when and why I became this church mouse.

I would be happier simply doing the programming and consulting and leave the pushy salesperson persona to someone else. I don't like answering the phone, or even answering technical questions.

It is not that I do not know the answer, it is that I like to gather my thoughts to give a simple non-technical (for the lay audience) and thorough answer. That wont work because people are so rude today. If one is not quick witted, and an extremely glib liar, then Gawd help you.

I am not one for excuses, so I will have to work with my condition, and find better ways of dealing with it.

America: The Consumptive Society

2008-12-31T09:12:00.005-05:00

Definitions of consumptive according to an online dictionary:

ADJECTIVE:
Consuming or tending to consume.
Of, relating to, or afflicted with consumption.
NOUN:
A person afflicted with consumption. An infectious disease producing lesions especially of the lungs.

Consumption is no longer used to describe a disease. However, I want to apply it to this topic.

America is a consumptive society; we are sick. We are consumers of the worst sort. What happened to saving for a rainy day? Where did this constant need to purchase what we want, and what we don't need become the sole focus of this society?

Everywhere one turns there is a billboard, a radio ad, a television ad, magazine and newspaper ads, pre-movie commercials, Internet pop-ups, and everywhere else they can stick this intrusive medium, urging us to consume. We are not even referred to as Americans, but as consumers. It's an ugly word. I can't stand hearing it.

I see this constant cycle of digging into the earth to pull up precious metals and natural resources. This process leaves devastation, destruction, and unlivable conditions and habitats in its wake. These resources get molded and shaped into "stuff" also known as consumer goods, and at the end this "stuff", aka pollution, gets shoved back into the earth as non-recyclable, non-reusable, non-treatable, toxic, and non-biodegradable garbage.

There are people in developing countries living atop of this refuse who, due to their poverty, accept our garbage. It is piling up around the world with nowhere to go.

If we didn't consume so much, we would not produce so much pollution. I feel guilty every time I toss something out.

I appreciate and respect our capitalistic society. I appreciate and welcome new developments in technology, but somehow, somewhere, something has gone horribly wrong. I am hoping that we Americans get back to saving, that we get back to moderating our tastes and excesses. I hope that we learn to purchase what we need (with cash).

It doesn't hurt to learn how to wait before we purchase what we want (without credit cards). I ask myself all the time: Do I need this item now? Why do I want it now? Do I already own something that would take care of my needs? If this new and improved item fails to make any kind of necessary difference, then I decide to pass. It's just a passing phase.

I don't like the way the media, our national brainwashing, propagandizing arm of consumptive industries, constantly re-enforces this delirium that we must buy, buy, buy, and shop, shop, shop. I cannot stand the words disposable income. It is your money to keep, save, invest, and enjoy, it is not disposable. We've worked too hard to treat it as something we need to immediately get rid of.

The economy will recover, because we are the economy. We will recover, but I wish for the sake of national (mental) health people will be encouraged to save, to moderate, and measure the impact of their lifestyles.

Organized Chaos: Keeping Up With Technology

2008-12-27T15:46:00.009-05:00

I realize I am not as organized as I've imagined myself to be. Or I spend too much time taking notes, working to type up these notes, and over analyzing a "game plan" I pretend I want to carry out. The funny thing is I rarely have any intention of following through with it.

For example, I need to, and should, keep abreast of the latest technology, software application development languages, and tools, and I'm in a tizzy over what to study and keep up-to-date with.

I have a rancid, poker-hot, decaying and putrid affection for technology.

There's simply too much to work with. I get the feeling companies (or their incompetent and clueless IT managers and executives) don't know what works, and love to waste millions, and people's valuable time, trying to find out what does. And yeah, do these guys love to drop the acronyms!

I used to work with Data Warehousing applications such as Microstrategy and Cognos. I've attended numerous classes and created many reports. Yet, any type of reporting for sales, for finance, for whatever, bores me stiff. Don't even ask me any questions about how these tools work.

Learning about .Net (all these years since its introduction and counting) is a joy draining exercise. Every few years I'm reviewing Microsoft's .Net Framework, ASP.Net, VB.Net and C#. As soon as I'm done with the books, training material and classes, I forget it. Doesn't matter if I've coded it for work, or practiced on my own time.

Nothing sticks. (Yes, I am exaggerating.)

Applications software development, this task of creating efficient usable software, which used to excite, now feels like the entire process is a peon or slave to bloatware. Sometimes it's difficult to determine actual value from technological advancements. I was excited by and enjoyed the DOS-Basic programs I wrote in college to determine financial aid.

I shudder to think what writing it in the .Net platform would be like. No fun at all. There are too many steps to take before coding starts: applications that have to be (purchased!) downloaded, hardware memory, O/S requirements, planning application layers and setting up classes, etc. No, thanks.

Next year, I will be taking a class in Adobe Flash. I could have taught myself it, which is what I've done with a lot of software application development tools. However, I've looked at many Adobe offerings to create content online, and I simply hate it. This is one of those times I want information spoon fed to me.

My plans for next year: ensure that the technology information received is streamlined, simple, and hopefully! actionable.

A Very Special Madoff: Cash Rules Everything Around Me

2008-12-20T17:32:00.012-05:00

I may be misquoting Method Man, or someone else, but I do recall this was a popular rap back in the day.

Truer words were never spoken.

Lemme give some props to Paul Krugman first:

The revelation that Bernard Madoff — brilliant investor (or so almost everyone thought), philanthropist, pillar of the community — was a phony has shocked the world, and understandably so. The scale of his alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme is hard to comprehend.

Yet surely I’m not the only person to ask the obvious question: How different, really, is Mr. Madoff’s tale from the story of the investment industry as a whole?

....

Yet, at this point, it looks as if much of the industry has been destroying value, not creating it.

....

The answer, I believe, is that there’s an innate tendency on the part of even the elite to idolize men who are making a lot of money, and assume that they know what they’re doing.

After all, that’s why so many people trusted Mr. Madoff.

Now, as we survey the wreckage and try to understand how things can have gone so wrong, so fast, the answer is actually quite simple: What we’re looking at now are the consequences of a world gone Madoff.

I bet he couldn't resist that pun.

Picture this first image: a black male goes into a KFC. Perhaps robbing it, at gunpoint, of $500 bucks, maybe even $5,000. If he commits this crime some where in the south, especially in one of those "tough on Negro crime" states, he will be sentenced to life in prison. Weirdness of the criminal justice system in all its stupid glory: he'll spend more time in jail, than if he killed his estranged wife, live-in girlfriend, multiple children, and some neighbors.

In case you think I am making this up. I forget the state, but there was a TV news story done years ago about a southern white woman judge doling out sentences of 100 years for armed (perhaps not?) robbery.

I also know people who work for a correctional facility: murderers don't spend a very long time in jail, especially when they kill women they know.

I hate thieves. I can't abide stealing, but she was proud of locking away people for extremely long periods of time. Think of the resources she was draining from the state: warehousing able bodied men without any indication of attempting to rehabilitate them. I wont delve into whether it is possible or not. I wont even talk about IQs, race, single parent homes, poverty, illegitimacy, illiteracy, recidivism, and the like. That's for the useless experts to hash out.

Picture this next image: an old white man rips off thousands of people, costing them billions. He shows up at court. The judge grants immediate leniency: he can stay under "house arrest" in his penthouse. Gawd forbid, this white man has to stay in jail with the unwashed masses.

The criminal justice system not only acts obsequious, they seem nigh apologetic. "Gosh, we're sorry we're disturbing you, oh-magnificent-rich-privileged-thieving-old-white-dude, but it looks like some of your suckers are complaining. We have to pretend we want to do something about it."

What ever happened to the joys of this wonderfully free unregulated market? Anyone? Folks who invested with this guy are the same ones who told politicians to back-the-funk-off-of-Wall Street. There's no limit to how much money we can make!

Three-card Monte on the street corner seems more legit. At least you know from the get-go it's a con.

What? You're surprised? Why? Oh, that's right, he went to the right (sotto voce) exclusive, extra extra special, brightest in the room, highest IQs in the world, no coloreds allowed, country club with all the other jackals. He must be legit.

What's that German word? Schadenfraude.

If he gets even half the time a KFC armed robber would receive, I'll be shocked, shocked! Bernard Madoff might spend a little time at Club Fed. There he will get to network with the other scheming and sneaky crooks on how to rehabilitate his tainted image. In his case though, he might be too old to start over.

I always thought that the casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas made more sense, and was easier to understand than Wall Street (what's left of it).

Web Site Critiques

2008-11-30T17:43:00.006-05:00

Color Contrast

Could people please think of hooking up their websites with black text on white background instead of vice versa?

I know not everyone thinks about an audience, or cares, but some people do have interesting things to write about. However, some people insist on unreadable colors like light blue text on a dark blue screen or orange text on a red background.

I mean, Why bother? It's criminal.

Flash Sites

Even though I plan on taking a class in Adobe Flash, frankly, I hate the software application. I can't stand animation on any web sites. I admit I like to read sites like Craigslist, NYTimes and Drudge, because s**t! isn't floating wildly and distractingly across the screens.

Animated, and disabling, full screen icons are like having a big disgusting bug on the screen that you cannot kill. I hate wasting time having to hunt for the close button, or mute the damn thing.

Log-in / Register

I am done with this. No mas.

I have so many damn accounts, just to what? read less than four sentences? No thanks.

Social Networking

Seriously, what purpose do they serve? One is never going to meet (or want to) these people. Real conversations are non-starters. Oh, well. Another fad waiting to die.

YouTube

Seriously guys and gals, fix the video lag time. It's getting lame.

Internet Addiction

I have it: I must break it.

Making Things: Ladder Shelves

2008-11-26T17:46:00.005-05:00

Every blue moon I have to give into my urges. This past August, I gave into the strong urge to make something.

The last time I felt such an urgency to create, it was a couple of years ago. I bought material, patterns, and went to work on sewing a couple of pants and skirts. I didn't need the clothes; I needed to make the clothes.

When the feeling moves me to build, I feel like I could build a house. Oftentimes, I draw my dream houses. One day I may complete that project. As a kid I built a make-do desk for myself. I replaced the legs on an old coffee table, so I could have someplace to study.

I have no actual carpentry skills. I learn by observing, reading, drawing mock-ups, visualization, measuring and re-measuring.

Following are pictures of some of the shelves I've made. Over a three month period, starting in late August, I spent roughly $450+ at Home Depot (love those guys there!), and Lowes. I bought: an electric miter saw, nails, screws, corner braces, and lots and lots of pinewood. I created 7 shelves / cabinets, with one going to my Mom. Pinewood is easy to stain. I didn't do it, since I don't like the strong smell of that stuff.

Shelves: most of the wood was 6-8 feet, which I had cut into pieces ranging from 16-23 1/2 inches.
Sides: wood of 6-8 feet, a majority of which was 6 feet, only two shelves are 8 feet high.

Chaos.

1 for bathroom.

1 for Mom.

My first effort.

For the plants.

Letting Go of the Telephone

2008-11-20T19:04:00.003-05:00

My brother was able to do it.

I can't bring myself to do it.

I would like to. I wish I could, but I cannot disconnect my landline telephone.

A cable company salesperson stopped by the house. He was trying to convince me I could switch to an all encompassing service package - telephone, internet and cable tv - and keep the original telephone number.

I said I would think about it. I really was going to consider it, but a chill of doubt went up my spine. See, I'm one of those people in which everything that can get screwed up will.

I feared losing my number, I feared not getting anyone to contact me during that down period when there was a real! critical emergency! In the end, I don't want to change. I'm sort of satisfied with my service and when I'm ready to, I'll disconnect.

As of right now, I see no reason to.

Computer Project: Build a Media Player

2008-07-23T00:02:00.007-04:00

The old computer died again. What a waste of money it was to get the power unit replaced! I don't even think I got 6 months out of that thing. If I had the energy I'd go back and tell these people they owe me a new power unit, because this one didn't last.

I almost spent more money with them, but I'm going to do different. I'm simply never going back. I remember I had to constantly call to get the guy to do the work within the time he promised. I can't stand that type of "service."

New Jersey has some of the laziest, most expensive, low motivation, "professional" people around. They charge a lot to deliver sloppy work, whether it's for landscaping, fence work, home construction, or medical work - you name it. I was terrified when I was buying my house. The lawyers in this state - don't get me started on that topic.

I admit it: I'm never satisfied. (snicker)

However, everyone does charge too much for a lousy job.

Do It Yourself or Get a Relative or Friend

I can't do everything myself, but damn, I will check with relatives and friends, before I ever go to any stranger around this place to do something for me again. Folks 'round here have no pride in their work.

Since the PC is dead, I will take the hard drives out, and either put them into a hard drive enclosure(s), or new computer case.

The thought of building a new machine excites me. I would consider a Linux system, like Ubuntu or Red Hat. I don't need a new machine, I'd prefer more disk space on my network. I'm down to two desktops, and a laptop with a malfunctioning screen. I'd remove that hard drive as well.

Media Player

What I'd really like to do is build myself a standalone hard drive MP3 player. The funny thing is I am having a hell of a time finding any information about this project. I see information from around 2001, but not relevantly recent.

Most projects start with a full fledged PC (Linux or Windows OS), or use a microprocessor with access to a flash card (SD/ MMC), but that is not what I'm looking to do.

I want a microprocessor with audio programmed to play music off the hard drives. The programming part doesn't scare me: I'm rusty, but I know C.

I basically want to build my own iPod: never thought it would be so hard.

I'm going to get it done. One thing I love to do is build stuff that interests me.

Financial Planning My Way

2008-06-27T21:38:00.003-04:00

This is the initial workings for my lifelong goal of financial stability. I see personal finances as a four legged stool: retirement, real estate, investments, and cash. I strive for simplicity. These are goals for starting balances, the future yields would definitely be higher.

1. Retirement

IRA, Roth (IRA), and Whatever Else the Government Will Think Up: Stop funding accounts once $100,000 is reached. I don't bother with all those online calculators and projections. They are unrealistic, crazy, and make people silly. The money is to be left alone until retirement age! Mutual funds range from international / foreign markets, fast growing medium-sized organizations to large, dividend paying companies.
Pensions: Future estimates are that it will be less than $100 a month. Not enough to feed a cat in 30 years.

2. Real estate

Pay off mortgage(s): own the home / property outright. Current mortgage is scheduled for 30 years of payments. Goal is to pay off this debt in 15-20 years.
It doesn't matter if I move tomorrow. I will look for the same housing costs, in order to have the same payoff period remaining on the new house and mortgage.

3. Investments

Rental Property: I wanted to buy rental property years ago, not the single dweller homes, but modest-sized apartment complexes. I don't know if I have the temperament for this activity. My objective would be 15 year mortgage payment plans.
Mutual Funds: These accounts are gone. I have to start over for my stool to have all of its legs. I will begin with $2,500 per account, or re-invest in same every year: that's roughly $210 per month. These accounts are where all the monies will be.
Bonds: I wouldn't necessarily call bonds an investment, but they satisfy my conservative nature. I want municipal and corporate bonds, with the grand total of all not exceeding $100,000. If I was retired, I would definitely look at government bonds.

4. Cash

Checking: a general bank account, nothing fancy. There are people who have all sorts of complicated schemes where they shift funds around for a tiny difference in return. I don't knock them for it. I just look at it as a place to park the money before the bills are paid. I require only two months of expenses here. If I need more funds, then the other accounts get pulled.
Envelope Stash: have enough to keep me from going to the ATM every week. This is what people did in the old days. Keep the money in an envelope and take what is needed for the week. It helps keep spending in check: take only a debit card for emergencies.

There you have it. It's not perfect, but something I aim for.

The Electric Car

2008-06-24T13:48:00.009-04:00

Where is the mass market electric automobile?

What is taking so long to bring these things to market?

Tesla Motors has a car, but it's high end. They don't go very far. Fast yes, distance no: max range is 220 miles. The Tesla Roadstar has lovely bells and whistles, but I don't think there are any on the road yet.

I've read that they are working on a mass market vehicle. We'll see.

I won't go over the disaster that General Motors (GM) made of their EV-1. Years ago, I can recall that that car was initially supposed to fill the California market. The next thing you know - poof! - it's gone!

The theory of peak oil has been around for a number of years. Whether it is true or not, there should be alternatives to transportation, and not just dependent on Petroleum Oil. Brazil had no trouble getting clever about this strategy. They use sugar cane, Ethanol, to fuel their automobiles. Why haven't we?

Why isn't there a full variety in our transportation infrastructure options?

Supposedly, the mass market problem with the electric automobile is the battery. Senator McCain, in an effort to get the market moving, has proposed a $300 million reward for a better battery for a new electric car. I guess he's unaware of the $10 million X-prize for a mass market zero emission car.

Hey, I am all for it. Right now there's a company from Norway called Think and they plan on bringing their car to our market. I hope they do, I like the concept. I would wait for the second or third generation of this item. The car they plan on selling will only have a range from 125-155 miles. Good, but I'm sure they will get better.

The thought of only plugging in my car at night excites me. I think as a backup, I would like having a small tank of gas (flex-fuel) that can take me roughly 100 miles or so. Any and all options are welcome at this juncture.

Yet, until I see these cars in a showroom all this stuff is just PR hype and talk.

Cutting Spending and Saving Money

2008-06-15T18:50:00.005-04:00

I am a spendthrift. Money burns a hole in my pocket. Currently, it is an incredibly deep hole. The philosophy to follow when one is in trouble is to stop digging.

I will stop, and find a way to climb out of this hole. I have to organize. I used to be so proud of being a hustler. I don't know what's been going on my head for the past few years. I've truly lost track of myself.

Short term goals:

1. Track spending: write down what I spend.
2. Limit my spending.
3. Save weekly what I did not spend.
4. Create additional income.

I don't follow a budget. I do track current balances, and know where the money is going when fixed bills are due.

I will get more anal, and detail every single cent I spend every day. It's like being on a diet. I may not like it for the short haul, but over a period of time it works (at least for me).

I've been looking for ways to save money. I wont know where to cut until after I've studied my spending journal. My gut (har-har-har) tells me I spend too much on food and entertainment. Yet, there is only so much I can cut back in those areas.

I have an investment account I emptied out. Last week, I started squirreling money back into it. Initially, it's not much. It's the equivalent of money I spent daily on coffee per week. Later on, I will double that amount.

Last, but not least. I have to look at where to increase my income. I've got too much month, and not enough money.

Earn Airline Miles! Earn a Free Flight

2008-06-11T21:20:00.004-04:00

Earn miles to get to your next destination for free! There are many ways to earn points to obtain a free flight.

The following is only the tip of the iceburg, the rest is up to you to research:

Credit Card Association:

As long as your spending is under control. If you have little or no debt, or have one card with a very low balance consider switching. The debt won't translate into points, but future spending will.

If you have excellent self-control with spending: use a credit card affiliated with a major airline to rack up those flight points!

Online Programs:

There are plenty of programs that allow swapping between point programs. Some encourage survey taking to gain points, others require you to purchase at a specific vendor.

If you have a lot of patience, and can wait, the points toward a free flight will slowly build.

Airlines often change their point programs after each bankruptcy, so plan your trips and point accumulation accordingly.

Software: Password Management

2008-06-10T13:58:00.006-04:00

I'm reluctant to try new software. I have little patience for learning how the stuff works. I don't read the manual: I don't want to.

Software should work intuitively. The majority of commands required are the same. I don't like gimmicky products that forces one to look in new places on the menu for: File, Edit, Options, Help, etc.

I have a gazillion online accounts. I can't remember all the accounts I have. The best I could do was keep track by spreadsheet, but it's too much to update. It is too much to handle.

I broke down, and downloaded RoboForm.

It's very easy to use, no manual reading required.

Solar Power

2008-05-26T16:17:00.005-04:00

Now, that the end of world - in the form of peak oil - is coming soon, and this has always been prophesied, what does the future regarding energy have to offer? I believe solar power is still the most promising, however there are a ton of hurdles to overcome.

I read the usual stuff about how there is enough solar energy hitting the planet to fuel the world, and then some. Even the robots - Sojourner Pathfinder, Spirit, Opportunity, and of late Phoenix - sent to Mars are running on solar power.

Solar power is always on and always free.

The question is: Why isn't it being harnessed properly and provided to everyone? Well, who would make money from free solar energy? Once solar technology is exploited, per installed solar panels, and aside from modest maintenance fees, there isn't anymore money to generate from this situation.

Businesses run on reoccurring consumption: customers return for more of the same. Even for products that may last a lifetime, people are urged to trade it in for new and improved models!

Department of Energy: USA! USA!

Never fear, there are people looking into this matter. Annually, the Department of Energy has a Solar Decathlon competition for college students to build the most attractive and energy efficient homes. The event takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., October 12 - 20.

The winner of the 2007 competition, Technische Universitat Darmstadt (of Germany) has an awesome website: check it out. The house which won was neat, totally efficient, and something I wouldn't even mind living in. Sometimes environmentally friendly doesn't look comfortable, but this house is cute.

Safety versus Gas Price

2008-04-29T19:24:00.004-04:00

Around my area the price of gas has risen to as much as $3.75 a gallon. That's the slightly higher grade of gas my car requires.

The summer driving season hasn't even started yet! I'm reading reports that per barrel "experts" predict prices as high as $200!

Thank goodness I don't have far to drive.

I've noticed that the dealers nearby have removed all of their big trucks and SUVs for those new, fuel efficient and amusing golf carts.

I believe in fuel economy, yet I value my life more. I'd rather pay more for gas in a full sized automobile that will protect me from bodily harm. My car has air bags everywhere, and one of those crash zone impact frames what-have-you.

I live in the state with the worst drivers in America. I care about careful driving and evading car accidents, not high gas prices.

New York Auto Show 2008 - Slide Show

2008-04-27T16:57:00.000-04:00

I Am An Unforgiving Consumer

2008-04-23T14:20:00.008-04:00

At times, I am a really slow shopper. Good shopping is like a hobby, or enjoying a good snack. It's to be done without haste, and with much leisure.

I browse, looking at nearly every item of interest to purchase. I can linger for long periods of time in hair, skin, makeup, and especially pain / cold remedy aisles. I like to look for particular products, check the prices, ingredients, and the smell.

Does that make me a criminal? Or is it because I am a black woman?

Are these the most shoplifted items? They must be. I can only surmise this from the behavior of store clerks. I wonder where they think I can hide these items on my body? Apparently, these geniuses need to pass directly in front of me a million times, or linger closely without so much as a "Hello, can I help you find something?"

Guess what I do? I'll abruptly put down the basket chock full of items. I head for the exit. My money stays in my wallet. (Yeah, I carry a wallet, not a purse.) And I am out. I am not coming back. Ever.

There's too much competition for my money. I don't need these clowns, they need me.

I want to shop without some minimum wage nitwit shadowing me. I want to toss my 12 oz hair conditioner at them. I want to read the ingredients without someone breathing down my back. I should be able to check that this item is on sale without the sudden store clerk traffic coming my way.

If you cannot respect my shopping habits: Adios. I will never return.

A Bitter April 15th

2008-04-15T17:48:00.006-04:00

Flat Tax

Why wont this stupid government pass a flat tax and be done with it? Let me pay what I owe once. Don't tax me every time I touch my own bloody money.

Nothing angers me more than when I have to pay a second tax and third tax, after an income tax, on money I had in savings. Why is this okay? Why is this even permissible?

I don't expect much in the way of the electorate demanding simplicity, but couldn't a brave, and hopefully intelligent, politician see the way? Couldn't one of these elected geniuses offer some kind of two-track tax plan? There should be one for tax payers who love paperwork, and a one-time, once per year tax only on income. And that's it!!

Why must there be thousands of pages just to pay taxes? Is the purpose of these byzantine tax laws to ensure a domestic works program for financial planners, accountants, lawyers and their ilk? A flat tax would certainly reduce the demand for these "professionals." A better course of action would be to pass the flat tax, then have all these accountants auditing government spending on entitlements, domestic programs and defense.

Bitterness

Forget about the opiate of the masses, excessive taxation is legalized slavery. If the government has its citizens in debt to pay taxes, there is no moral difference. It is indentured servitude.

Just what do my taxes pay for? Here's an example: a "stimulus" check, where the same money we sent, is returned to the taxpayers. How about not confiscating so much in the first place?

If you want to talk about a bitter citizen, then I am your woman. I haven't embraced guns yet, but I'm almost there. 'Cause right now all there is to cling to is God.

When a Computer Dies

2008-04-08T12:38:00.004-04:00

My file server just had to die on me. It's an old box - over 7 years old, which I use to print, scan documents, grab additional disk space via my external hard drive for the other computers I have. The file server is not critical, yet it is necessary.

Procrastination caused this mess: that might as well be my middle name.

I make backups, but the files I have on my backup drive are not the most recent. It's been over a year and a half since I copied files to the backup drive.

Damn.

Fortunately, I don't erase files off of my camera's SD card. I usually copy the files from my SD card directly to the backup drive. Yet, lately I was solely using the file server.

Why!?!

I wish I knew. This thing has been screaming in high pitched death throes for over three years. Lately, there was a burning smell, which I thought was one of the printers. I didn't know it was the file server.

Duh.

I sent it off to be repaired. I know the power unit was what died. I only hope that was the worst of it. The machine runs on Windows XP Professional. I don't want a new box with Windows Vista. I'm not in the mood for that kind of time wasting agony.

New York Auto Show March 2008

2008-04-07T11:49:00.006-04:00

I just wanted to show some clips of the cars I like. I will add more in later posts.

The Bully at Work

2008-03-26T18:18:00.005-04:00

The New York Times, March 25, 2008, has a rather fascinating article on the bully at work. I find that article to be rather timely. I was talking to my mother about how Corporate America is actually an extension of junior high or high school. The same asshats that you disliked or were bullied by at school, end up being coworkers and supervisors.

So the hell of working with a belligerent jerk never ends. In this case, because one needs work to eat and survive this makes the situation worse. With all the debts people have, the difficultly of job jumping, the commute, our personal obligations, health benefits, and so on, sometimes hell is the only place we can work.

I'm not surprised companies are losing billions of dollars in lawsuits, people are taking extensive sick time, or just walking off the job. I've walked away from a number of people I wanted to knock the stuffing out of. It's not even just about rudeness, they know you don't want to be labeled a troublemaker.

This is about power. Nothing else.

This quote from the article, is pretty much standard at every job I've worked at. It's happened to me and I've seen it happen to others. Oftentimes, I wonder why there aren't more shoot-outs at job sites. According to the NY Times:

The work bully sets out on a course of constant but subtle harassment. It may start with a belittling comment at a staff meeting. Later it becomes gossip to co-workers and forgetting to invite someone to an important work event. If the bully is a supervisor, victims may be stripped of critical duties, then accused of not doing their job, says Gary Namie.

I'm a vendetta minded type of person. Not only do I thoroughly document disgusting and rude behavior, I also retaliate. I don't let people mess with my money. I see that as life threatening, and I respond in kind.

People have and will lose jobs after I'm done with them, because I'm willing to lose my job just to get my revenge.

Barack Obama: 10 Rules of Leadership

2008-03-07T13:04:00.005-05:00

I've been following the campaign for presidential nominee of the Democrat party. I think Barack Obama is a good example and role model for people who want to achieve groundbreaking, or substantial goals in life. It is fascinating to watch and learn from his experiences.

These are my takeaways regarding his background and political campaign(s):

Accept who you are. He's written autobiographies embracing all aspects of his background: good and bad behavior. He comes across as secure and not conflicted about his identity.
Make the best of your educational opportunities. He didn't shrug away from learning, he realized that education is the key to moving ahead in this country.
Networking is the key to getting what you want. He not only is good at reaching out, he knows that he has to talk to everyone. He's learned from his community organizing days to get a hold of key players (power brokers) and work with them.
Be very optimistic, polite and "open." Although politics in this country is about power at all costs, it doesn't mean one has to sink into mud to achieve power. The nice guy approach works, it hides your own ruthless streak.
Surround yourself with really smart and motivated people. The ability to get things done is not a "man as an island" concept. A good leader surrounds himself with people who know their strengths and are capable and ready to act on them.
Use the latest technology and media to reach a vast amount of people. Even if you, personally, are not on top of technology, find people who can expand your reach.
Keep your message consistent. This is the key to sticking with what works and keeping your message "on point." People judge you by an initial impression. The impression has to be reinforced by a simple message. Who remembers ten point plans? People respond to leaders based on emotion.
Stick with a plan, but be flexible. Keeping the goal in mind, tweaking the game plan is important.
Wage war like the military. Shock and awe may be an interesting phrase, but the first goal is to cripple all communication abilities of the "enemy." This means defining yourself before someone else can, and whatever message they have use it to limit them. You expand on your strengths and define them by their weaknesses.
Do not hesitate to ask for help, or for what you want. This is something that eludes a lot of people. Ask for what you want, because there are only two possible answers: yes or no. Oftentimes, more people respond with the affirmative. It doesn't hurt to ask and ask often.