Tuesday, November 30, 2010

What to do about WikiLeaks

Everyone is shocked -- shocked! -- to discover that WikiLeaks has continued to release secret and confidential documents despite the urging of the Obama administration.

It's almost like Obama can't make people act nice by asking them. Didn't the whole world listen to the 2008 campaign? Obama can stop the oceans from rising; he should be able to stop Iran from developing nukes and Julian Assange from releasing documents that are harmful to the U.S. interestes.

Unless, of course, Obama isn't really interested in American interests. But that's silly. I mean, it's not like he grew up in another country. It's not like Obama is interested in a post-America world. It's not like he's bowing to foreign leaders.

No, there's no evidence whatsoever that Obama is secretly cool with the WikiLeaks releases. And, despite Obama being the most awesome thing since man descended from the trees and discovered TiVo, Assange went ahead and released the documents.

Now that the impossible has happened, what can Obama do about it?
  • Blame George Bush
  • Go golfing
  • Play basketball
  • Send Joe Biden to talk to Julian Assange
  • Increase pat-downs at airports
  • Go on vacation
  • Extend the healthcare law
  • Send SEIU personnel to "talk" to Julian Assange
  • Go golfing
  • Let tax cuts expire
  • Email Assange a Microsoft Windows virus
  • Release the GTMO detainees
  • Go golfing
  • Give an speech, using a woman who will lose her job in six months as a prop
Perhaps there are other things Obama can do to temper the damage of these leaks and prevent future leaks. Ideas? Anyone?

Monday, November 29, 2010

Sun of a ...

You hear about that woman that owns the sun? No, really. Angeles Duran owns the sun. And she's going to charge you money to use it. That's according to a report from The Daily Mail. Of course, that's in England, the country that, along with France, came up with the whole Divine Right Of Kings idea, so you never know what kind of gag they're liable to fall for. Anyway, this Spanish woman now owns the sun. Which means you now have somebody to sue when you get a sunburn. I wonder if I can sue for that bad sunburn I got back in Kuwait? Maybe I could sue her for trespassing if her sun shone through my windows one morning when I was trying to sleep in and it woke me up? Then, again, Al Gore might start blaming herfor Global WarmingTM. Or, maybe I could lay claim to some heavenly body. Halle Berry comes to mind. No, let's not get silly. Let's consider this and be serious (Sirius?) about it. What celestial object would you lay claim to? And why?

Friday, November 26, 2010

Don't clean up Washington, clean it out

It made news recently that Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal called for Congress to become part-time:
"When they live under the same rules and laws they passed for the rest of us, maybe you'd see some more common sense coming out of Washington, D.C." he told the conservative publication. "Instead, you got a permanent governing political class."

Jindal, who once served as a congressman, cited Mark Twain in his proposal.

"We used to pay farmers not to grow crops, let's pay congressmen to stay out of Washington, D.C.," he said. "Mark Twain said that our liberty, our wallets were safest when the legislature's not in session."
Heck, I've been advocating a part-time Congress for a while. But I'd take a slightly different approach.

First, I'd go along with a part-time Congress. After a Congress is elected, one 90-day session, and then adjournment sine die.

I'm not so sure about term limits. If someone does a good job part-time, let him stay at it. With it becoming a part-time job, we might not end up with so many Congressman-for-life situations. I'd skip term limits.

Next, I'd clean out Washington. It's the seat of government. And, with a part-time government, we don't need so much going on there. We certainly don't need anyone living there. No housing. None. No one would own a house or an apartment in Washington. Because no one would live there.

The District of Columbia was set aside for the seat of government, and should be that and nothing more.

Sure, there are a lot of people that live and work in Washington, DC. There shouldn't be. Yes, it would be difficult to have to get a real job. I hate it for them.

And, well, I'd stop there. For now. I mean, with a part-time Congress, and no reason for a bunch of people living there, that pretty much solves most of the problems coming out of Washington.

But, maybe I'm a little too optimistic. What do you think? What would you do to clean up Washington. Or, better, clean out Washington?

The difference is ... you are getting screwed

Saw a news story recently about a man who hired a couple of whores who then took his money without, um, completing the deal:
After he placed payment on a stereo, one of the prostitutes showed him her chest, but the second did not perform oral sex, Haden said. The women took the money and left.
The police arrested him for "patronizing prostitution."

This is a lot like the people who voted for Obama that are now complaining.

I mean, many of us on the right told people that it was a bad idea to vote for Obama. But, being of age and everything, a lot of people went ahead and did something really stupid. The parallels are obvious.

Only, while police can arrest people for paying for hookers, we can't arrest people for voting for socialist idiots. And we shouldn't. I'm all for hitting Obama voters with a stick, but not for arresting them. As long as when you hit them with a stick, you do it hard enough to knock some sense into them. You don't want to waste a stick.

Anyway, I don't mind people who voted for Obama suffering the consequences of their actions. I just don't like having to suffer the consequences of their actions with them. I mean, I didn't pay money to a couple of hookers and get ripped off; why should I be out any money?

But, in politics, that's not how it works. If you throw away your vote like this guy threw away money at whores, you get screwed. Along with everybody else. But not in the good way.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Shop for an iPad

Cnet has had a lot of videos lately about the iPad. Makes me think Apple bought a boatload of advertising.

But, I want to weight in on the whole "shop for an iPad" meme that seems to be going on.

Only, my take is a little different. Because the shop I'm talking about is the repair shop.

There's a problem with the on/off switch. It looks like someone took a screwdriver do it. And, the damage causes it to occasionally complete the switch circuit, and it will suddenly act as if the switch was pressed. Made it impossible to use.

It's obviously not a defect, it's damage. And I'm at a loss to determine how that kind of damage in that location occurred by accident.

Oh, well. Life is full of mysteries.

Anyway, I got an estimate on repairs, and it turned out to be around $450 to get it fixed. I could buy a new one for $699, so that took some thought. Research showed that trying to fix it myself would void the remaining warranty. So, I decided to send it in for repair. If Apple fixes this problem, I'll have to pay for this repair, but warranty is still on for defects going forward.

So, on November 6, I took it to Graphicom, the local Apple dealer.

Larry said it'd be 3-5 days, but noted that he's noticed things taking longer than normal lately. In the past, I've had to send in stuff (my old MacBook, for instance), and it came back quickly, when it was something they couldn't do in-store.

After a week, I called Graphicom and asked about it. No word. This went on every few days ... until Tuesday. That's when I got an email from Apple:
Thank you for choosing AppleCare Service.

Your product was received by the Apple Service Facility without a valid service request.

At your earliest convenience, please contact Apple with more information. Please call AppleCare at 800-APL-CARE (800-275-2273). When calling, please have Apple case number [*********] readily available. Help is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. central.

Best regards,

Andrew
AppleCare Service
Well, that can't be good, I thought.

So, I called. Some guy named David seemed hesitant to talk to me. The exact kind of thing that would happen if someone screwed something up, and he didn't want to tell me that.

Of course, I already figured out that someone screwed something up. There's no shortage of parts for the iPad, so there's no way it should have taken this long. Someone had screwed something up.

Anyway, he suggested I contact Graphicom, give them some numbers he game me, and have Graphicom contact Apple.

After a little bit, Larry contacted me, telling me that the issue seems to have been resolved, and repairs would start.

Great. I dropped it off on the 6th, and 17 days later, someone was finally going to do something? Just frikkin' great.

Anyway, I now have enough information to look up the repair status myself. Checked this morning...



According to this, 10 days after I dropped it off, Apple checked it in, and let it sit there. And it's sitting there still.

Not sure who all screwed up here. Graphicom delay sending it in? That doesn't fit my previous experience.

FedEx delay? That doesn't fit my previous experience.

Apple fiddle-farting around with a repair? That doesn't fit my previous experience.

So, someone has fallen down on the job. And my iPad is taking way too long to get back from repair as a result.

I'd like to know who screwed up.

I'd also like my iPad back.

Thanksgiving 2010

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. It's a day set aside for giving thanks for the many blessing we have received. Many families will gather together, many good times will be shared, and many meals will be consumed.

But there are people who don't have families with whom to gather together, who are suffering hardships and having trouble making ends meet, and are cold and hungry. Think about these people. While there are some people that you just can't help, there are many, many more you can. Find a way to help others as you recoginize all the blessings you have received.

And don't forget to give thanks for what you have. Don't worry about what you don't have. The Good Lord has been very kind and gracious to use, allowing us to reap the benefits of living in the United States of America. Let's don't lose sight of that fact.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Maybe Harvey will be inspired. Maybe.

lolcats inspired Harvey to start up lolterizt. And lolbama.

Maybe Harvey will start up lolgov or something.


[Reference]

Maybe not.

But, until he does, if you have some to submit, send them to me at lol@basilsblog.net. I'll post them, or some of them, or all of them, next week. Or tomorrow. Or when I feel like it.

Conservative TV shows

One of the good things about TiVo is that I don't have to think about what airs when. If I find a show I like, I can just tell it to record something, and it's there for me. It just shows up. Like it's Christmas every day! The "Looky what I got" Christmas, not the "God sent His Son to save us" Christmas.

The drawback is that I no longer pay much attention to what all shows come on. Since I don't have to worry about when my shows air, I don't check the listings, and don't see what else airs. I discover new shows by seeing promos about them before I hit the fast-forward button during breaks, by hearing people talk about it, or from it showing up on TiVo suggestions. I don't often use TiVo's Guru Guides, because they all list shows that either suck, or that sound like they suck. Most of the shows, anyway. But I don't blame TiVo. I blame the fact that there aren't many shows on TV that would appeal to conservatives.

We need more conservative shows. Like these:
  • Bitch-slapping Olbermann
  • When Animals Attack, We Kill Them And Eat Them
  • MST3K Special: Hardball with Chris Mathews
  • Cooking With Bacon
  • Bitch-slapping Obama
  • Mythbusting Liberals
  • Where Are They Now: Democrats
  • Dancing On Their Graves
  • SEC Football
  • Bitch-slapping the guy that runs the TSA
  • It's Bacon!
  • The John Wayne Channel
  • The Surreal Life In Space
  • Bitch-slapping Harry Reid
  • Dirty Jobs Special: Cleaning Up Congress
  • Blowing Stuff Up
  • The R Lee Ermey Channel
What shows would you like to see?

I now pronounce you ...

Growing up in Georgia, I discovered that some words can be pronounced in different ways, depending on where you are.

For instance, "Jordan." You may say JOR-dan. Some people, in west Georgia and east Alabama pronounce it "JURD-n." Like that stadium where Auburn University plays football, Jordan-Hare. Or, Jimmy Carter's Chief of Staff, Hamilton Jordan. Those are pronounced "JURD-n."

Houston County, in central Georgia? It's not "HYOOS-ton," as you might think. It's "HOWS-ton." Really.

Buena Vista, in west Georgia? "BYOO-na VISS-ta." Seriously.

Walthourville, in southeast Georgia? "WALT-OWER-VILLE," like it's three words: Walt, hour, ville.

The lesson I learned, as I mentioned, is that words aren't always pronounced like you might think. Or like you've heard others pronounce.

In the public interest, I present a list of words that you may have been mispronouncing your whole life, along with the correct pronunciation.
  • Democrat (COMM-yoo-nist)
  • Republican (OWN-pro-BAY-shun)
  • Pelosi (ASS)
  • Reid (DUM-ass)
  • Obama (FAYL-yur)
  • Stimulus (BAD-i-DEE-uh)
  • Palin (AWW-sum, alternate pronunciation HOT)
  • NBC (DOOSH-bagz)
  • CBS (DOOSH-bagz)
  • CNN (DOOSH-bagz)
  • ABC (NYN-tee-per-SENT-DOOSH-bagz)
  • Fox News (TWIN-tee-per-SENT-DOOSH-bagz)
  • Liberal (KRAP-for-BRAYNZ)
  • Twitter (GAE)
  • Facebook (GAE)
  • Windows (per-PEH-chu-wul-BAY-tuh)
Perhaps you've run across other words that aren't pronounced as one would expect?

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Solving the TSA problem

Some people are getting all bent out of shape about the TSA naked scanners and the grope-downs.

But not everybody.

Gloria Allred says she enjoyed it.

Maybe we're going about this whole thing wrong.

Maybe what we need to do is have some choices. More choices, anyway.

Right now, we have two choices: get your naked scan done, or get felt-up by someone who couldn't get a real job. Men are getting groped by men, women are getting groped by women.

And that's the problem. Not enough choices.

The TSA needs to offer a choice. Let each person who opts for a grope-down get to choose the groper:
  • Straight man
  • Straight woman
  • Gay man
  • Gay woman
  • Bisexual man
  • Bisexual woman
  • Hermaphrodite
  • Supermodel
  • Chippendales dancer
  • Bond girl
  • Bondage girl
  • Blind girl
  • Eddie Long
  • Eddie Haskell
  • Mr. Ed
  • Mr. Green Jeans
  • Mr. Mister
  • Miss America
Who would it take to grope you so that you wouldn't mind it?

TSA: Target-Shifting Administration

So, the TSA is on the offensive, defending their offensive actions.

Yeah, I know. That sentence doesn't sound right. But then, neither does what the TSA is doing.

They're under the impression that inconvenient means safe. It doesn't. It means inconvenient.

They're also under the impression that arrogant bastards mean protectors. It doesn't. It means arrogant bastards.

And, they're under the impression that creating long lines of people in public places is safe. It isn't. It's a target.

Think about it.

If a terrorist wants to cause fear around air travel, what to they have to do? Take out an airplane?

No. They have to take out a lot of people.

Take, say, a DC-10. They hold from 250-380 passengers.

Passengers wait in line at a security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. Image source: MSN
Take, say, an airport. In September, 2010, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson had 7,261,721 passengers travel through its gates. That means in 10 minutes, on average 1,681 people go through the gates in 10 minutes. There are three checkpoints: North Terminal, South Terminal, and Main Checkpoint.

If all three are operating, and handling the same number of people, then, in 10 minutes, 560 people will go through a checkpoint.

Of course, some times it will be a lot less. Some times it will be a lot more. But, the point is, in 10 minutes time, on average, nearly twice as many people are waiting to get through a gate in Atlanta as will be on a DC-10.

So, where does the terrorist need to strike? On a plane?

No. They have the TSA making a lot of people stand together for minutes at a time. And that's where they will hit, when they next hit air traffic. On the ground. At the long line the TSA has for you.

And, when that happens, what will be next? The TSA moving the checkpoints to the entrance to the airport building itself? Wouldn't surprise me. Because all that does is shift the target.

You see, to me, that's the problem with how the TSA is handling things. Well, the whole handling of people's boobs and genitals and such, too. But all the TSA has succeeded in doing is making people miserable and shifting the terrorists' target from 30,000 feet in the air to 560 bodies standing in line.

Nine years and this is what they came up with?

And liberals want the government running things.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Wife on tehFacebook

It finally happened.

After telling her sister, mother, brother, daughters, friends ... everyone who'd listen and others who wouldn't ... Wife finally broke down and set up a Facebook account.

I understand her hesitancy. She's heard stories about all the privacy concerns ... as well as others joking or complaining about things others do on tehFacebook.

But, I'd occasionally mention things someone said on tehFacebook ... family members, mostly ... and she'd laugh or ask about it before she realized that she was supposed to take the Facebook-is-stupid attitude.

Of course, my saying how stupid tehFacebook is didn't help. But I have a Facebook account. And, yes, it's stupid. But, I still have an account.

We'd go out to eat lunch, she'd grab a table at the Subway while I'd order the food. And, when I got to the table, she'd have the iPad open to tehFacebook, reading things family had posted on their wall.

I knew the day would come. And, this week, it did.

Wife set up her own account on tehFacebook. And, of course, it didn't take me long to find out.

I helped her with the security settings, so that she had full control (as much as tehFacebook allows, anyway) on who could see what. Turned most of the settings to "Friends Only" and turned some off altogether.

Now, she's a lot more comfortable with it. She's not ready to jump in full with it, though. She's not asked very many people to be friends. And, she's not accepted many friend requests.

So, if you know her, and send her a friend request, don't be upset if she doesn't accept the request right off. It's not personal.

At least, I don't think it is. That's what I'm telling myself. Because she still hasn't accepted my friend request.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Sarah Palin can do it all

What can Sarah Palin do?

The better question is: What can Sarah Palin not do?

I discovered just how talented and versatile she is. She can quarterback Auburn University.

No, really. Look:

Source: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

It surprised me, to say the least.

With her leading Auburn on the gridiron, I suspect she's completely lost all the Boise State and Texas Christian fans. All 20 of them.

Nancy Pelosi: It wasn't my fault

I've been reading that Nancy Pelosi says the recent Democrat losses in the House of Representatives weren't her fault.

It sort of reminded me of Jake's excuses in The Blues Brothers:



What does it remind you of?

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Terys cantt spel ... % niether cann teh cabel compeny

There's a store in the area -- Terry's Grocery in Smiths Station, Alabama -- that runs ads on local cable.

Somebody can't spell. Probably an Auburn graduate.



Want to see the whole commercial? No? Then skip to about 20 seconds into this:



I'm not sure who's responsible for this, but I blame both the grocery story and the cable company.

If the store sent the copy with those misspellings, then they're stupid and are to blame. And so it the cable company because they're airing it despite the obvious mistake. Stupid cable company.

If, though, the cable company made those mistakes, then, of course, the cable company is stupid for not fixing it. And the store is stupid for paying the cable company to make them look like a bunch of asses.

I'm sure all the people involved in this are nice. Okay, I have no idea if they're nice or not.

When you hear people from the south say about someone else, "Bless their heart," this is what we're talking about.

RockMelt

I'm always trying out new browsers and such. Seems I can't be satisfied with anything. That's my feminine side, I suppose.

When Netscape was the only browser worth a darn, I was trying out Internet Explorer 3.

When Internet Explorer was ruling the world, I was looking at Mozilla and Firefox. Oh, and Opera.

When I got a Mac, I rarely used Safari, opting for Firefox and Chrome.

Now, I'm trying out RockMelt. It's that new browser from some of the old Netscape crew. And, I'm not sure what I think about it. It's different.

RockMelt is based on Chromium, which is Google's browser-buildy-stuff.

It's very Facebook-y. But, it's Twitter-y, too. See?



Of course, being old, I think Facebook is lame. As is Twitter.

Of course, being geeky, I use Twitter. And Facebook. Some.

So, I'm trying out the RockMelt. And, I suspect, it'll be the greatest thing ever.

Until I go back to using something else. Like I always do.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Don't give in, Nancy

Them internets are crawling with stories that Democrats in Congress are wanting Nancy Pelosi to step aside as that party's leader in the House of Representatives.

I think she should stay on the job. Not that you could say "job well done" about her. On the contrary, she's led this country down the road to hell.

But, that's exactly why she should stay on the job.

With Nancy Pelosi as the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, she's a reminder of what happens when you put a bunch of socialists in charge of important things. And everyone knows that socialists should be in charge of getting their dirt out of Boss Kean's ditch ... and nothing more.

If the Democrats replace Nancy Pelosi, they might pick someone who doesn't remind Americans that Democrats are idiots who shouldn't be trusted.

So, I really really want her to stay in charge of the House Democrats.

They deserve each other.

Veterans Day, 2010

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities. This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect (source: Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
Veterans Day

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

On Veterans Day, we come together to pay tribute to the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. Americans across this land commemorate the patriots who have risked their lives to preserve the liberty of our Nation, the families who support them, and the heroes no longer with us. It is not our weapons or our technology that make us the most advanced military in the world; it is the unparalleled spirit, skill, and devotion of our troops. As we honor our veterans with ceremonies on this day, let our actions strengthen the bond between a Nation and her warriors.
In an unbroken line of valor stretching across more than two centuries, our veterans have charged into harm's way, sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice, to protect the freedoms that have blessed America. Whether Active Duty, Reserve, or National Guard, they are our Nation's finest citizens, and they have shown the heights to which Americans can rise when asked and inspired to do so. Our courageous troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the globe have earned their place alongside previous generations of great Americans, serving selflessly, tour after tour, in conflicts spanning nearly a decade.

Long after leaving the uniform behind, many veterans continue to serve our country as public servants and mentors, parents and community leaders. They have added proud chapters to the story of America, not only on the battlefield, but also in communities from coast to coast. They have built and shaped our Nation, and it is our solemn promise to support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen as they return to their homes and families.

America's sons and daughters have not watched over her shores or her citizens for public recognition, fanfare, or parades. They have preserved our way of life with unwavering patriotism and quiet courage, and ours is a debt of honor to care for them and their families. These obligations do not end after their time of service, and we must fulfill our sacred trust to care for our veterans after they retire their uniforms.

As a grateful Nation, we are humbled by the sacrifices rendered by our service members and their families out of the deepest sense of service and love of country. On Veterans Day,let us remember our solemn obligations to our veterans, and recommit to upholding the enduring principles that our country lives for, and that our fellow citizens have fought and died for.

With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service men and women have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor our Nation's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2010, as Veterans Day. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I call on all Americans, including civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, and communities to support this day with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fifth.

BARACK OBAMA

Sunday, November 7, 2010

The SEC chaos continues

While the rest of the college football world -- those that blindly follow the ESPN College Gameday crew -- are all worked up over those junior conferences trying to get into the BCS "championship game," those of us with working brains are only concerned about the SEC. Since the best team in the SEC -- whoever it is -- is the best college football team.

Now that we've clarified for the confused -- or made them mad so they left -- let's look at the confusion wrought by yesterday's games.

SEC East

Despite getting hammered by Arkansas, South Carolina is where they've been all season long: win and they're in ... as far as the SEC title game goes. Then, again, so is Florida.

Whoever wins the game this weekend wins the SEC East. It's that simple. Like we've been saying for weeks.

SEC West

The LSU win over Alabama seems to have simplified things. If Auburn wins one of its remaining two conference games (Georgia, Alabama), they win the West.

LSU can only win the West if Auburn loses both games, and if they win both of theirs (Mississippi, Arkansas).

Alabama can only win the West if they win out (Mississippi, Auburn), Auburn loses to Georgia, and LSU loses one of their remaining two games.

Auburn has the easiest track.

The BCS

Honestly, does it matter? If Auburn wins out, they should be in the SEC Championship Game against USC/Florida ... and win. And, that'll put them in the BCS "championship game."

Oregon, who some people really think is all that (they aren't), is likely to be that other team ... if they win out.

Texas Christian would be Auburn's opponent if Oregon stumbles. And, if TCU also stumbles, then Boise State might sneak in.

Unless LSU somehow sneaks in by way of other teams being upset. However, it appears that LSU gets to join Auburn in serving up a huge cup of STFU to two pretenders.

As it stands now, it's likely that Auburn gets to spank Oregon in the BCS "championship game," while LSU goes to the Sugar Bowl, and gets to spank either TCU or Boise State.

Friday, November 5, 2010

AARP, Obamacare, and karma

Remember when Obamacare was being considered by the Congress? And AARP was supporting it? And all the supporters said how much it would make everything better and how it would get prices under control and it would be just so awesome?

Well, now AARP has sent information to its employees saying that their insurance was going up ... because of Obamacare:
In an e-mail to employees, AARP says health care premiums will increase by 8 percent to 13 percent next year because of rapidly rising medical costs.

And AARP adds that it's changing copayments and deductibles to avoid a 40 percent tax on high-cost health plans that takes effect in 2018 under the law. ... Shifting costs to employees lowers the value of a health care plan and acts like an escape hatch from the tax.
To be honest, I don't mind those that supported Obamacare getting bit in the ass by Obamacare -- they are such big asses, after all.

I like laughing at stupid people. It's fun.

Oh, and AARP? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

Buying an iPad for Verizon

I bought an iPad earlier this year. And, I've been happy with it. Back then, you could only buy an iPad from Apple. That is, from an Apple Store, and Apple Dealer, or online from Apple.com.

Now, though, you can buy one from Verizon, or a bunch of other places.

You may be wondering if you should buy one from Verizon. I'm not going to say you should or shouldn't, but here is some information that Verizon ... or Apple ... might not tell you.

3G or not 3G?

If, like me, you want to be able to connect to the Internet without depending on 3rd-party hotspots -- like at a Starbucks, McDonald's, a hotel, or other places, or when you're in the car (the passengers using it, not the driver!) --  then you need to be able to carry the Internet around with you. Okay, not the Internet, but an Internet connection.

I bought mine from Apple, and bought the 3G version. That meant that I could connect to the Internet from just about anywhere.

To me, it's worth considering getting the ability to connect to the Internet. And that meant getting the 3G version. But maybe not anymore.

Verizon's option

You can buy an iPad from Verizon. They are promoting the heck out of their bundle. That's a WiFi-only iPad, plus their MiFi hotspot thingy. And, from their Website, it's next to impossible to find an iPad without the MiFi bundle. They want you to buy both.

But, you might not have to.

AT&T vs Verizon

I have Verizon as my cell phone provider. I can sit on my couch (like right now, as I write this) and use my Verizon phone. When my daughter, who has AT&T service, visits, she cannot sit on my couch and user her AT&T phone. Verizon service is more reliable in more places ... for me. It might not be for you, but it is for me.

If AT&T is more reliable for you, then you should get an iPad with 3G, which means using AT&T for non-wifi connectivity.

If, though, like me, you prefer Verizon, then you have some options.

Your Own Personal Hotspot

If you have one of those fancy new phones that can work as a hotspot -- like my Droid does -- or if you have some other personal hotspot device, you can use it, then you only need a WiFi version of the iPad.

Verizon says they'll sell you one, but, gosh, it sure is hard to find how to do that online. You might have to go to a Verizon store.

But, does it work well? Well enough. I'm using it to post this. Yes, I'm sitting on my couch writing this, but I'm connected to the Internet via the hotspot device (a Droid X, in my case).

So, if you have your own hotspot device already, and it performs satisfactorily, you don't need to get a new one.

Connectivity Pricing

How much does it cost to connect?

AT&T has a couple of plans: $15/month for 250 MB, or $25/month for 2GB. If you run out of data, they'll renew to start a new month. If a month passes, they'll renew unless you cancel. My usage has always been more than 250MB, but less than 2GB. There's no overage charges, because when you run out, they start a brand-new month.

Verizon isn't quite as simple, and there is the risk of overage. If you go with the MiFi 2200 plan (part of the iPad bundle), it's $20/month, but you only get 1 GB.

If you have a hotspot device -- say, a phone that can work as a hotspot -- it's $20/month for 2GB. Cheaper than AT&T, more data than the MiFi 2200 plan, but as an add-on to your cell phone bill, you run the risk of overages; it doesn't recycle like AT&T's plan.

Summary

If you already have a portable hotspot device you're happy with, you can buy a wifi-only iPad from anywhere. In my case, there's a local dealer, and I'd buy from him.

If, though, you don't have a personal hotspot, then you really want to consider getting either an iPad and a hotspot device (like Verizon's), or get an iPad with 3G built-in (that means pay as you go AT&T service).

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Job well done

Nancy Pelosi summed up her term as Speaker of the House: "Job well done."

No, really. She actually said that:
"We believe we did the right thing, and we worked very hard in our campaigns to convey that to the American people," she said. "Nine and a half percent unemployment is a very eclipsing event. If people don't have a job, they're not too interested in how you intend for them to have a job. They want to see results."

Asked to assess her tenure, Pelosi quickly answered, "Job well done."
See? You thought I made that up. But I didn't. She actually said that.

But, you know, thinking about it ... she may be right. Depending on what she thought her job was.
  • If you thought your job was to bring America to the brink of financial ruin, then job well done.
  • If you thought your job was to make Americans miss having Republicans in charge, then job well done.
  • If you thought your job was to ram through ill-conceived, unwanted legislation, then job well done.
  • If you thought your job was to stand there and look stupid, then job well done.
  • If you thought your job was to bring Congress' approval rating down to all-time lows, then job well done.
  • If you thought your job was to help Americans understand that voters in your district are stark raving mad, then job well done.
  • If you thought your job was to be the punchline of a joke, then job well done.
How would you assess Nancy Pelosi's job?


More comments at IMAO

Monday, November 1, 2010

It doesn't ad up

Sunday


Hello? Delaware Channel 28?


Uhhhh. What?


I'm trying to reach Channel 28. Have I reached the correct number?


Uhhhh. Sure, yeah.


This is Christine O'Donnell. I had paid to have an ad run at 11:30, and it didn't run.

Don't forget your towel!

Did you see that NASA is planning to send a ship on a one-way trip to another planet?

According to news reports, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding a NASA project to send some people on a one-way trip:
In a talk at San Francisco's Long Conversation conference, Simon “Pete” Worden said DARPA has $1M to spend, plus another $100,000 from NASA itself, for the program, which will initially develop a new kind of propulsion engine that will take us to Mars or beyond.

There's only one problem: The astronauts won't come back.

The 100-year ship would leave Earth with the intention of colonizing a planet, but it would likely be a one-way trip because of the time it takes to travel 35 million miles
Who would make the trip?
  • hairdressers
  • tired TV producers
  • insurance salesmen
  • personnel officers
  • security guards
  • public relations executives
  • management consultants
  • telephone sanitizers
Well, actually, I'm not sure about that list. That may be a list from somewhere else entirely.

But, as long as NASA is sending a ship on a one-way trip, why not use that list? Or something like it? Why not turn the 100-Year Starship into a B-Ark and include the useless third of society? I think we could include:
  • Democrats
  • MSNBC anchors
  • daytime TV talk show hosts
  • moderates
  • liberals
  • bloggers
  • community organizers
Any other suggestions?