Monday, February 27, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
Once again a chance to poke MoveOn.org in the eye. They produced a graph that shows Obama giving a larger percentage of his income to charity. These percentages are "charitable donations" divided by "adjusted income." Data comes from the Washington Post.
So I produced my own graph. Whom tried to lower their taxable income the most through deductions? That is "deductions" divided by "adjusted income." Looks like Obama to me. Is he trying to not "pay his fair share?"
Give this interactive graph a shot to produce statistics in a way you favor. Please note that the display of data fields "A" are scaled relative to other data fields "A". Data fields "A" will not scale relative to data fields "B". Please note that this graph will probably not work in Internet Explorer or Opera. Use FireFox, Safari, or Google Chrome.
So I produced my own graph. Whom tried to lower their taxable income the most through deductions? That is "deductions" divided by "adjusted income." Looks like Obama to me. Is he trying to not "pay his fair share?"
Give this interactive graph a shot to produce statistics in a way you favor. Please note that the display of data fields "A" are scaled relative to other data fields "A". Data fields "A" will not scale relative to data fields "B". Please note that this graph will probably not work in Internet Explorer or Opera. Use FireFox, Safari, or Google Chrome.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Really?
Lock yourself in your homes people. If you go out and interact with other people you are eventually going to have to apologize for you existence.
Recently golfer Keegan Bradley apologized for a habit that he does before he takes his shot. He was actually unaware that he does it. What was this horrid habit? He spits.
A couple other golfers spit during the tournament, but Keegan seemed to be the only one people were offended by.
If you haven't heard about this yet you're hearing it now. Hillary Clinton can be just as embarrassing as Obama when posing for a photo. Can you see the error of her way?
Final item is screwiness averted. The case of PETA suing Sea World on behalf of Orcas has been struck down. PETA plans to continue this suit, but that's just silly.
And speaking of silly, the Daily Show did a good job of making fun of the suit.
Recently golfer Keegan Bradley apologized for a habit that he does before he takes his shot. He was actually unaware that he does it. What was this horrid habit? He spits.
A couple other golfers spit during the tournament, but Keegan seemed to be the only one people were offended by.
If you haven't heard about this yet you're hearing it now. Hillary Clinton can be just as embarrassing as Obama when posing for a photo. Can you see the error of her way?
Final item is screwiness averted. The case of PETA suing Sea World on behalf of Orcas has been struck down. PETA plans to continue this suit, but that's just silly.
And speaking of silly, the Daily Show did a good job of making fun of the suit.
Crash
Isn't technology wonderful? Sigh.
Currently battling a software update that crashes my computer every time it finishes. It is what I use to play MP3s and PodCasts, but I won't name what I use. I just don't like working in dead silence.
I do have some vinyl. Hmmm...
Currently battling a software update that crashes my computer every time it finishes. It is what I use to play MP3s and PodCasts, but I won't name what I use. I just don't like working in dead silence.
I do have some vinyl. Hmmm...
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Will mom go to jail for sending son to school?
A 10 year old boy in Alabama was suspended from the bus for a week. His mom made him walk the 4.6 miles to school.
The police cited that her boy could have been injured or abducted. She may now be charged with child endangerment and face one year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
What would she have faced if she didn't send her son to school?
Obviously the police have not heard of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" program to curb childhood obesity.
If the police are concerned about abductions, go after the abductors, not the parents. If the kid is supposed to go to a school the state decides on, don't take away the transportation. If you suspend him from the bus, suspend him from school.
The things the state tells us to do is done at the point of a gun. Now a mom may go to jail because she made her son go to school, like the state tells her to do.
The police cited that her boy could have been injured or abducted. She may now be charged with child endangerment and face one year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
What would she have faced if she didn't send her son to school?
Obviously the police have not heard of Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" program to curb childhood obesity.
If the police are concerned about abductions, go after the abductors, not the parents. If the kid is supposed to go to a school the state decides on, don't take away the transportation. If you suspend him from the bus, suspend him from school.
The things the state tells us to do is done at the point of a gun. Now a mom may go to jail because she made her son go to school, like the state tells her to do.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Chevy Makes Cigarettes?
Wouldn't it be great if everything was electric?
Some things should be electric and some things should not. There really is nothing wrong with someone wanting or having an electric car, but it does have many drawbacks. A few months ago there was a story how an electric car caught on fire two weeks after it was in an accident. It was probably the battery that caused that fire.
Anything that uses batteries can have a potential hazard of heat or explosion. It is just the way batteries work.
So unfortunately there has been a horrible accident where someone has lost all their teeth and part of their tongue. Someone who used an e-cigarette after they quit smoking had it explode while in use.
People will always have bad habits. One has to wonder if the e-cigarette would have been invented if it wasn't for all of the anti-smoking propaganda. It seems to be more of a substitute for public smoking than a way to quit. The nicotine gums, patches, and therapy were about before the anti-smoking hysteria. The e-cigarette seems to be more of an eF-you to anti-smokers allowing smokers to smoke, but it has eF-ed back.
Anything that uses batteries can have a potential hazard of heat or explosion. It is just the way batteries work.
So unfortunately there has been a horrible accident where someone has lost all their teeth and part of their tongue. Someone who used an e-cigarette after they quit smoking had it explode while in use.
People will always have bad habits. One has to wonder if the e-cigarette would have been invented if it wasn't for all of the anti-smoking propaganda. It seems to be more of a substitute for public smoking than a way to quit. The nicotine gums, patches, and therapy were about before the anti-smoking hysteria. The e-cigarette seems to be more of an eF-you to anti-smokers allowing smokers to smoke, but it has eF-ed back.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Brown Bag Lunch Banned
Sometimes it feels good to be right; sometimes it is awful being right. This is the latter. Back in August I predicted the banning of brown bag lunches.
A four year old in preschool was told by a state employee the lunch she was packed was not nutritious; she was then given/forced a school lunch. Why wasn't the lunch packed for her nutritious? It did not have a vegetable. Why didn't she have a vegetable? She won't eat them unless she is watched, so she gets vegetables at dinner so that under supervision of her mom she will eat them; otherwise, like at lunch, they will go uneaten.
So what was packed in her lunch?
Let's add insult to injury. The little girl brought a bill home for the school lunch along with her uneaten packed brown bag lunch.
I have kept this recap brief, so if I have peaked your interest please go follow the links.
A four year old in preschool was told by a state employee the lunch she was packed was not nutritious; she was then given/forced a school lunch. Why wasn't the lunch packed for her nutritious? It did not have a vegetable. Why didn't she have a vegetable? She won't eat them unless she is watched, so she gets vegetables at dinner so that under supervision of her mom she will eat them; otherwise, like at lunch, they will go uneaten.
So what was packed in her lunch?
- turkey and cheese sandwich
- banana
- potato chips
- apple juice
- 3 chicken nuggets
Let's add insult to injury. The little girl brought a bill home for the school lunch along with her uneaten packed brown bag lunch.
I have kept this recap brief, so if I have peaked your interest please go follow the links.
Monday, February 13, 2012
No 'MoveOn', It Does Not Make Sense
I like to point out some of the idiocy at MoveOn.org because they are just a logic train wreck; no matter how horrible it is, the fascination forces you to stare at the wreck.
MoveOn is railing against small government. Click on the screen-capture posted below or go to the MoveOn page.
As MoveOn writes : "Does this make any sense?"
Welfare is a big government program. The government drug testing citizens at taxpayer expense sounds like a big government program. And yet MoveOn relabels this as 'Small Government.'
You're right MoveOn. You don't make sense.
Here's another little gem. The page is a bit too big for a screen capture, so I've linked to the content.
Let it sink in and do the math.
The Math
98% of Catholics are women.
2% of Catholics are Bishops.
Seems legit.
MoveOn is railing against small government. Click on the screen-capture posted below or go to the MoveOn page.
Welfare is a big government program. The government drug testing citizens at taxpayer expense sounds like a big government program. And yet MoveOn relabels this as 'Small Government.'
You're right MoveOn. You don't make sense.
Here's another little gem. The page is a bit too big for a screen capture, so I've linked to the content.
Let it sink in and do the math.
98% of Catholics are women.
2% of Catholics are Bishops.
Seems legit.
Friday, February 10, 2012
EPA Shakedown : It's all about the Green
Shakedown stories from Feb 1 - Feb 10, 2012
Monson Cos. : $68,000 + $33,000 in training & equipment to local emergency response teams
Fined for a poorly organized warehouse
As usual the story is too brief. It seems that the aisles were too narrow and incompatible chemicals were not separated. There was no pollution, just a disorganized warehouse.
Dover Chemical Corp. : $1,400,000
Fined for paperwork not being descriptive enough
Dover Chemical Corp. has been creating chlorinated paraffins for over 40 years. The problem is with their short-chain chlorinated paraffins. The story describes how this product is linked to cancer and other problems, but it does not state if it is illegal to make it. However, the company has agreed to stop making the product.
Quote from the story:
Fairbanks' residents : $100 ( potential )
Fine for heating their home
Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly will propose a law on Feb 23rd limiting emissions on solid-fuel heating devices. In November a measure that would have banned some devices was defeated.
Better the citizens freeze to death than having them burn coal and wood.
N.H. Motorcycle Riders : Unknown fine
Fine for a motorcycle being too noisy
If your motorcycle is over 92 decibles then, um, something bad will happen? Having a bike that goes "Vrooom VROOOOOOMMM!!!" will be illegal.
Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy LLC : $10,000 + at least $38,000 of emergency equipment for local township
Fined for missing paperwork
Once again a story that is too brief. An ethanol plant, that fuel the government pushes, stores anhydrous ammonia and need to have an emergency plan on file. The EPA says there is no plan on file. Story fails to mention if any warnings were given and there are no comments from the company. Once again, there is a fine when there was no pollution; the fine is for missing paperwork.
So far the story has garnered only one comment and it is the scary mentality that too many people have: It is okay to fine them because they have lots of money.
National Energy Technology Laboratory : $1,500
Surprise Inspection!
2 violations: improper sealing of containers of universal waste lamps and failure to properly mark a hazardous waste container. Violations were fixed within 24 hours. These sound like simple human errors and not a flaunting of the law if it was so quickly fixed. EPA is grabbing money for people being human!
ROLE REVERSAL : EPA SUED
Yes. 10 states are sueing the EPA to force soot standards. Clever states. Here is what happens if they succeed.
It's all about the Green.
Monson Cos. : $68,000 + $33,000 in training & equipment to local emergency response teams
Fined for a poorly organized warehouse
As usual the story is too brief. It seems that the aisles were too narrow and incompatible chemicals were not separated. There was no pollution, just a disorganized warehouse.
Dover Chemical Corp. : $1,400,000
Fined for paperwork not being descriptive enough
Dover Chemical Corp. has been creating chlorinated paraffins for over 40 years. The problem is with their short-chain chlorinated paraffins. The story describes how this product is linked to cancer and other problems, but it does not state if it is illegal to make it. However, the company has agreed to stop making the product.
Quote from the story:
Dover Chemical maintains it filed all appropriate paperwork in 1978, but that in the December 2009 notice of violation the EPA claimed that the description of CPs wasn’t “in sufficient detail.”No pollution and no liability just cost $1,400,000. Imagine if they actually did something wrong.
Dover Chemical also said that the settlement “resolves all of the USEPA’s allegations, without any finding of admission of liability ...”
Fairbanks' residents : $100 ( potential )
Fine for heating their home
Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly will propose a law on Feb 23rd limiting emissions on solid-fuel heating devices. In November a measure that would have banned some devices was defeated.
Better the citizens freeze to death than having them burn coal and wood.
N.H. Motorcycle Riders : Unknown fine
Fine for a motorcycle being too noisy
If your motorcycle is over 92 decibles then, um, something bad will happen? Having a bike that goes "Vrooom VROOOOOOMMM!!!" will be illegal.
Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy LLC : $10,000 + at least $38,000 of emergency equipment for local township
Fined for missing paperwork
Once again a story that is too brief. An ethanol plant, that fuel the government pushes, stores anhydrous ammonia and need to have an emergency plan on file. The EPA says there is no plan on file. Story fails to mention if any warnings were given and there are no comments from the company. Once again, there is a fine when there was no pollution; the fine is for missing paperwork.
So far the story has garnered only one comment and it is the scary mentality that too many people have: It is okay to fine them because they have lots of money.
National Energy Technology Laboratory : $1,500
Surprise Inspection!
2 violations: improper sealing of containers of universal waste lamps and failure to properly mark a hazardous waste container. Violations were fixed within 24 hours. These sound like simple human errors and not a flaunting of the law if it was so quickly fixed. EPA is grabbing money for people being human!
ROLE REVERSAL : EPA SUED
Yes. 10 states are sueing the EPA to force soot standards. Clever states. Here is what happens if they succeed.
- Energy plants comply
- Costs of complying are passed on to the consumer ( suer )
- Energy plants fail to comply
- Energy plants are fined for violations
- Energy plants pass fines to consumers [ suer ]
It's all about the Green.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Honda Fined for Obeying the Law
If you buy a car that can get up to 50 miles per gallon, do you think you will actually get 50 mpgs? Have you ever driven in Los Angeles rush hour traffic? No you haven't. No one drives in LA rush hour traffic. You just sit there on the highway idling and burning fuel. Would you expect to get 50 mpgs then?
In LA you can. An LA judge has awarded a woman $10,000 in her suit against Honda because her Civic Hybrid did not get 50 mpgs.
So why would Honda put such an outrageous claim on their car? Because the EPA told them to. According to the judge, that was an insufficient reason.
In LA you can. An LA judge has awarded a woman $10,000 in her suit against Honda because her Civic Hybrid did not get 50 mpgs.
So why would Honda put such an outrageous claim on their car? Because the EPA told them to. According to the judge, that was an insufficient reason.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Burden
There are many reasons the economy has tanked. One of the biggest reasons is government intrusion. This intrusion makes companies wary of hiring people and people wary of starting companies. This greatly impacts the chances of the economy to recover.
Here is a simple explanation of why people are reluctant to start a new company.
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