Reading Is Fundamental

This year I have read an average of a book a week - probably the happy result of both deciding to get more into reading for information and entertainment and the decision to read on my commute into downtown.

Apparently, this volume of reading activity puts me among the most voracious readers in the country.

According to an AP poll, basically no American reads any books anymore. Well, the "typical person" claimed to have read four books, with half of respondents claiming to have read fewer and half claiming to have read more.

Thank Gawker for this news; then go read the AP poll via CNN.

Since January 1, no joke, I've read 34 books.  I'd post them all if I had an attractive web-friendly plug in that presented all of the titles in a multimedia format.  If anyone happens to be aware of one of these let me know.  I'm quite sure, though, that my voracious reading habits are probably part of the reason why child education drives me occasionally batty.  Reading is part of what creates an educated population.

 

Reading is fundamental, people.

 

I'm Feeling Hobbesian Today

Wow, it's been a busy couple of months.  Very.  I've been spending an awful lot of time over at my brother blog, Single Dads, for the last few weeks - for reasons that soon will become clear. 

 

Don't let this get you, though.  I don't intend to go anywhere.  In fact, you, gentle reader, are bound to see quite a bit more posting in the future.

 

In the meantime, here's a beautiful thing I found while searching the webs, especially if you are a Calvin and Hobbes fan (I am)... all of the Calvin and Hobbes comics linked on one handy webpage .  Thanks, Marcello!

 

Go get them quick.  I suspect this page won't be available for very long.

Financial Quote Of The Day

...yes, that said Financial Quote of the Day.  Believe it or not, I'm not kidding.

Like many who have jobs and kids, I am one of those that actually has a 401(k).  Unlike many that have jobs and very young kids, though, I have taken the bizarre (and poverty inducing) step of actually starting a 529 plan for my little honey's college education.  I figure that hey, if she doesn't go to college, I'll buy a boat, and give it my daughter's name or something.  But I do believe in being prepared, thanks to a little peach of a post that I caught some time ago.

 

Lately, though, I've been a little in the dumps, because I actively LOOKED at what my various little investments were doing, in light of the recent ups and downs in the stock market.  Ugh.

 

Then came this article on the market from the Washington Post, which actually not only handed out some good advice, but provided the title to this here post, above.  Here's a bit from the article:

 

The recent stock market plunge has whiplashed many investors and left them wondering what to do about their portfolios.

But in times like these, don't panic. Instead, you want to think about the three D's, says Erik Davidson, a chartered financial analyst and senior director of investments at Wells Fargo Private Bank in Denver.

Good advice in there, but the key thing that the article mentioned was this gem of a phrase:

 

Whatever you do, "have a programmed approach that keeps you buying during the downturns," Seely said. "Think about something other than what the market did today."

 

Think about something other than what the market did today.

 

I like the cut of that phrase, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

Don't Say "Take This Job And Shove It"

It's time.  You're fed up with your job, you've found another gig, and want to give your two weeks notice?

Try looking at Lifehacker, first, to craft the winning resignation. 

 

But resignation time shouldn't be bridge-burning time, so wikiHow's got some advice on how to quit professionally and with grace.

 

That's Gina for you.  Posted there and on wikiHow.

 

You know what's amazing about posts like this?  Timing.  Wow, they are good.

Google: We're In Ur Store, Mappin' Ur Stuff

I haven't made a post about Google in a while, so imagine my surprise when I saw how you can be an independent contractor for them , especially since it's not April Fool's Day.  Requirements include the power of speech and a camera.  From the FAQ:

 

1. Why should I become a Google Business Referral Representative?
   
   Joining the Google Local Business Referrals (LBR) program is a great way to earn some money while connecting people to the businesses in your neighborhood. The information you collect could be seen by millions of people who use Google every day. And you'll be helping the businesses you refer attract new customers while also making it easier for people in your community to find the products and services they're searching for.

2. What will I be doing as a representative?
   
   As a Google Business Referral Representative, you'll visit local businesses to collect information (such as hours of operation, types of payment accepted, etc.) for Google Maps, and tell them about Google Maps and Google AdWords. You'll also take a few digital photos of the business that will appear on the Google Maps listing along with the business information.  After the visit, you submit the business' info and photo(s) to Google through your Local Business Referrals Center, and we'll pay you up to $10 for each listing that is approved by Google and verified by the business.

   All you need to be a successful Business Referral Representative is a passion for helping local businesses succeed, a love for the Internet (some knowledge of Google is great, too), and access to a computer and a digital camera.

Say again?  Google will pay me for taking some pictures of some local businesses?

Wow.  Where do I sign up?

By the way, I found this via Reddit, so you'll probably never see this article again, so take some notes. 

 

Seriously, I'm thinking that Google is:

- Rich as all get out, and

- Preparing for world domination.

Deadbeat Dads Drive Me Crazy

When you are a single parent, frustration is a constant companion, which is oddly enough why no single parent should be lonely for even a minute. Besides the usual complaints:

- your ex, and the mother/father to your children,

- money,

- the nagging feeling that you're doing something wrong as a parent

- money,

- seeing the job as a barrier to seeing your children,

- money,

- finding new companionship,

- the legal system,

- and money,

there are a host of other irritations. Some are much, much worse than others. I'm no exception to that particular mental state.

Lately, though, my biggest source of irritation is deadbeat dads - that is, those dads that have to pay child support for their children, sometimes with one woman, sometimes with several - and don't.

I realize that child support is expensive. I pay it myself. Apparently, though, a lot of fathers seem to believe that they DON'T have to pay it. The way that I see it, this just makes my job as a responsible father much, much harder.

Single mothers, when told that I am a single dad, look at me with guarded suspicion. The legal system looks at me sideways, because I could always just "leave" and leave my daughter high and dry… even if that's something I could never do. I am deemed to be possibly be not as good of a parent in part because of my testosterone level. The prejudice against fathers who want as much custody of their kids as possible is hard enough; add the stereotypical deadbeat dad into the emotional mix, and it creates an unfavorable position for me.

I'm a man working two jobs and a freelance position - none of which I necessarily do for my health. I participate in several community events and donate to several charities. My daughter has never been in any compromising position in my care, ever. I've never even just paid the minimum for child support for my daughter simply because I felt that I could afford a touch more - I give more when I can. I know child support is oppressive, Lord, do I know. I know that child support awards are unfair. I know that the system is bent against fathers. But so what? Work on changing the system if you like or if you can, but concentrate on helping the kids, first, because as dumb as the system might be, you still have your kids to worry about. Pay up, or negotiate.

In short, there's nothing that I can't stand more than a dad who can't, or won't, go out there and bust butt to make sure that their kids are being raised well when Dad isn't around.

Deadbeat dads of the world, get with the program, or get out of the middle of the road. You're slowing us down. And I promise, with my schedule, I definitely have someplace important to be.

Well Played, Ms. Calhoun

The funniest quote of the week comes from Patricia Calhoun, editor of the Westword, Denver's weekly alternative newspaper, during a trial where the weekly was sued by some guy named Steve Horner (who, naturally, lost) who decided that ladies' nights at bars were a violation of his civil rights and newspaper advertising those promotions were violating state civil rights laws:

"I'm running to the ladies room." Turning to Horner, she added, "You don't object, do you?"

Thank the Rocky Mountain News for this.  Then thank Fark for the hat tip.

I'm not sure what's wrong with that guy, and in fact, I don't even like bars (who wants to be the old guy in the club?!), but I have a feeling that cheap drinks at Denver bars probably won't help his attitude.

Keeping Lethal Animals In Your House Just Might Leave A Mark

...and...the Sun is there.

 

A MAN who lived in his own "zoo" of lizards and insects was fatally bitten by a pet black widow spider — then eaten by the other creepy-crawlies.

Police broke in to Mark Voegel's apartment to find spider Bettina along with 200 others, several snakes, a gecko lizard called Helmut and several thousand termites had gorged on his body.

Neighbours alerted police after becoming alarmed by the stink.

And horrified officers were met by a nightmare scene.

Interesting story, indeed.

 

Victim:  Are you trying to tell me that keeping a bunch of dangerous spiders, venomous snakes, and poisionous frogs and toads in my house is a bad idea, somehow?

 

Observer with common sense:

  

 

 

Ah.  The thing that I love most about the world is a diversity of ideas.  Mostly bad ones, but ideas nonetheless.

First Google Checkout, Now This

You might remember a previous post about Google Checkout, the service that competes with Paypal and thus has caused rifts between two Internet giants - Google, and eBay.

 

Enter Amazon.

 

Look for a launch announcement by Amazon this week or next of a new web service around payments, adding to their S3 (storage), EC2 (virtual server) and other services. They've been quietly testing the service, which will compete with PayPal and Google Checkout, for a few weeks. It is an extension of the existing Amazon Payments , which allows third parties selling items on Amazon's extended network to receive payments from buyers.

Techcrunch for the win.

 

Have you been getting the feeling that Amazon is slowly, but surely, sneaking up on us all?

 

I love the competition, personally. 

 

Things are about to get ugly up in here.

Can I Start A Bottled Water Company?

Yep, I've been on a sporadic hiatus.  Between holidays, working two jobs and doing freelance work (expect yet another announcement soon, as I started this project a few weeks earlier), visits, and everything else, my posting has been going down... this in spite of ReaperCat, drunken astronauts , Lindsey Lohan, and the newest Harry Potter book.  How I've been able to keep from posting is beyond me.  I must have been asleep.

 

But what finally makes me post again this week?

 

Tap water.

 

PepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry. According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, the world's No. 2 beverage company will include the words "Public Water Source" on Aquafina labels.

 

Via CNN.

 

Seriously, I'm all about the importance of water.  I live in a pretty high altitude, where water just... leaves.  It's here, then it's not, and if you don't hydrate, well, you've got problems.  But I am most certainly NOT a fan of bottled water.  Why?

 

Think about this.

 

Water and plastic.

First, it's lukewarm.  Then it travels.  The water and the plastic bottle heat up.

Then it arrives at it's destination, and goes into a freezer, where it suddenly becomes cold.

 

Then it goes into another location.  It's hot again. 

Then it's cold again.

 

After who knows how many iterations of hot and cold this water becomes, one seriously has to think, what is the chemical impact on the water actually in this plastic (meaning made from petroleum products) bottle by the time you drink it?  Have you ever gotten a bottle of water that tasted... different?  I have.

 

And speaking of petroleum, I'm not crazy about that either.

 

So I don't buy bottled water anymore.  Love me some tap water, though.  Apparently, so does PepsiCo.  So do yourself a favor.

 

1.  Buy a metal water bottle.

2.  Turn on your faucet and fill it up.

3.  Think of the $1.09 you just saved versus buying the bottled stuff.

4.  Profit.

 

Sure, South Park fans, I added a step.  But at least now you know how to get the "Profit" part of the plan.

 

Unblocking The iPhone

An article in Gizmodo on the efforts to unblock the iPhone comes with the best photoshop that I've seen all month.
First, the article:

Apparently, the amazing code wizards at the iPhone Dev Wiki have been able to partially unlock the iPhone using a new application called iASign. It won't fully unlock the iPhone for use with other companies, but the hack will allow you to use any existing Cingular/AT&T Pre-paid/MVNA SIM so you don't have to get a two-year contract with AT&T. We are now testing this, but if confirmed the benefits are great.

Then, the photoshop.






"YAHOOOOO! You're all clear, Kid. Now let's blow this thing and go home."

Something Useful From The Government

...and it's on the Internet.  Who would have guessed that?

Overlooked and difficult to find, there are hundreds of thousands of U.S. government web sites that can help you accomplish a variety of tasks. At the right federal .gov destination you can locate historical documents, keep tabs on Congressional happenings, view presidential paperwork, and a whole lot more.

One of these days, I'm going to write a poem - not like one of those godawful poems that you used to write when you were a sophomore in high school - but a detailed, loving poem as a celebration of the wonders of Lifehacker.  Ah, Lifehacker, how I love thee.

Personally, I've used the CIA World Factbook quite a bit in the past.  Not that I travel that much... well, at all, but if I WERE to go to, say, Guinea-Bissau,I like to know what the most important local imports are that year.

10 Instant Life Improvements? Surely You Jest

Apparently, jest they do NOT.

Many of our problems come from within our own minds. They aren't caused by events, bad luck, or other people. We cause them through our own poor mental habits. Here are 10 habits you should set aside right away to free yourself from the many problems each one will be causing you.

Thank Lifehack.org for this article.  Then read the article in its entirety.

I especially liked this suggestion:

Don't hang on to the past. This is my most important suggestion of all: let go and move on. Most of the anger, frustration, misery, and despair in this world come from people clinging to past hurts and problems. The more you turn them over in your mind, the worse you'll feel and the bigger they'll look. Don't try to fight misery. Let go and move on. Do that and you've removed just about all its power to hurt you.

This sounds like the most intelligent thing that I'll read all week, and this week I've read some amazing things.

You mean that I shouldn't ruminate over that girl that I dated in the 11th grade whose best friend I took to the Homecoming Dance?

I think I'll sleep well tonight.

Who Wants Good, Inexpensive Wine?

You do.  And here's a surprise.

 

The connoisseurs may cringe, the snobs may even sob, but the judges have spoken: California's best chardonnay costs less than $3.  Charles Shaw Chardonnay, better known as "Two Buck Chuck," beat hundreds of other wines and was named the top prize in a prestigious tasting competition in California.

 

6abc.com.  Hat tip: Fark.

 

Can't beat that with a stick.  Go get your wine on, 21 and over adult crowd.

One Of The Talks I Hope To Give My Daughter

…and I don't mean that one that you're probably thinking.

I devote a lot of time thinking about things that I'll tell my three year old daughter when she gets older, and lately, the topic that has crossed my mind quite a bit regards drugs. In our Paris, Lohan, Nicole, Britney crazed society, it probably doesn't take too much of a mental leap to figure out why.

But the key thing that has crossed my mind is this: most parents probably do not spend the brain power considering how to approach the subject of use and abuse of substances, controlled or otherwise, with their kids.

I don't want to be one of those parents, so after considering the question, I believe there might be a decent discussion out there on the subject. My proposal to answer the question "What would you say to your child about drugs?" is this:

"Honey, let me tell you something about drugs. I'm ashamed to say that I've ever taken them, but in the past I have. Really I have. But over time, I've come to some conclusions. Someday, someone that you think is attractive, perhaps someone that's rich, , or powerful, or that you admire, will offer you drugs. And you might be curious, and you might think that perhaps if you do what they do or offer, you'll be as attractive, rich, or powerful as they are."

"This is not the case. Those people that are rich or beautiful or whatever WILL NOT feel as good as you feel the next day after they have made the offer. You will be smarter than them for not following along with the crowd. You will not be panicked, you will not be depressed, you will not be ashamed, and they will be."

"I'm not saying that this will happen today, or even tomorrow, but eventually it will happen, and when it does, just try to remember what I'm saying right now, and don't do it."

I don't know if that is the smartest thing that I could say, and I have no idea if it would work, but I think those are very close to the words I'd utter.

And if that didn't work, I'd try again with something else.

In my humble opinion, that is what any Dad would do.

No Relationship At All. Nope. None.

It's been a long time.  My home connection is still on the fritz.  I hope to have it fixed today, as it's now costing me money.

 

I will, however, make my return with this nugget of information on the looming terrorist threat:

 

WASHINGTON - A new threat assessment from U.S. counterterrorism analysts says that al-Qaida has used its safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border to restore its operating capabilities to a level unseen since the months before Sept. 11, 2001.

 

Via Yahoo News.

 

Aaaack!  Everybody panic!

 

Hey, what's this all about?

 

June 22, 2007

Two-thirds of Americans Disapprove of the Way
George W. Bush is Handling His Job as President

Over two out-of-three Americans say they disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president according to the latest survey from the American Research Group.

Among all Americans, 27% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 67% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 29% approve and 64% disapprove.

 

Oh.

 

 

Coming Soon

I've been quite the busy man - and quite the sketchy Internet connection as well.

 

Sorry about that.  Look for some interesting news.

Blame The Foreign Looking Clerk Guy

Infuriating.

 

LITTLETON - The families of two young men killed in a drunk driving accident want the stiffest penalty for a store clerk who prosecutors say sold alcohol to one of their sons who used a fake ID.

 

9news.

 

So, wait.  A liquor store clerk sold someone some alcohol and now the parents of the children who were killed by their drunk driving accident want the clerk to be penalized?

 

Obviously there's more to the story.  Let's read on, shall we?

 

The parents of Paul Ondrish and Brandon Nichols, who were both 20 years old, admit their sons made poor choices, but say the store clerk should have been more responsible.

 

So, these kids weren't technically children after all, they were 20 years old. 

Alarm bells are beginning to ring.

 

The clerk, 25-year-old Loc Truong, pleaded guilty on Thursday to selling Ondrish the liquor on July 12, 2006.

"There were a series of mistakes made that night, but it started when the store clerk sold alcohol to a minor," said Frank Ondrish, Paul's father.

Early the next morning, Ondrish crashed, killing both him and Nichols. Neither was wearing a seatbelt.

The other three passengers, all of whom were 20 years old, were also injured.

Truong was working at Marina Pointe Liquors at Chatfield and Wadsworth in Littleton.

Ondrish bought rum from him using his brother's expired Michigan driver's license as ID, according to the DA's office.

 

A series of mistakes that started when the store clerk sold alcohol to a minor?

Actually, no.  One of the first mistakes was for a kid to use his brother's expired ID to try to buy booze. 

One might argue that the parents made the first mistake somewhere along the line, but why quibble.

 

Let's move on.

 

"Stores with a liquor license have a great responsibility to follow the law," said Patti Ondrish, Paul's mother.

 

"People who walk into liquor stores to buy booze have a great responsibility to follow the law," said Clark, father of a daughter.

 

The alarm bells have become a siren.

 

A liquor store clerk making probably $8.50 an hour does have a responsibility to follow the law, but NO MORE SO than two 20 year olds that intentionally walk into a liquor store to buy rum using fraudulent identification.  Luc Truong is not the proximate cause of their accident; the proximate cause of the accident seems to be their deciding to purchase booze for their drive into the mountains, then doing it.  Luc Truong was unfortunate, but not a criminal.

 

This man does not deserve to go to jail.

 

However, these parents, as much as I feel for their loss as a parent myself (and I do mean that), do deserve a lesson on the effects of cognitive dissonance.

 

Unless there is a significant amount more to this story than meets the eye, I would have to say that a reasonable person could not find that this 25 year old liquor store clerk deserves to lose his job, his liberty, and possibly his very future because two 20 year olds decided to defraud him and his employer and successfully buy alcohol.

 

Free Luc Truong.

 

Parents, dead children, jail, and lawsuits.

 

This story stains the memory of the young and dead, and once again, personal responsibility surrenders.

Dear God In Heaven - The Wal-Mart Card

NOOOOOOOOO!

 

Check our Walmart's awesomely evil deal: Cashing your check costs $3.00, but if you put the money on a Walmart MoneyCard, they'll waive the $4.64 "loading" fee. Neat! After that it's only $4.94 a month to keep your money on the card.

Want to know how much is left? That'll be $0.70 to check your balance .This card, in essence, takes people who don't have access to the banking system in this country and makes Walmart their "bank." Except it's a "bank" where it costs $1.95 to get money from an ATM, but getting "cash back" from Walmart's POS is free! If you deposit more then $1,000, Walmart will generously waive the monthly maintenance fee on the card. Want to speak to a teller? That'll be $3.50. Your paper statement? $2.00.

The Consumerist, of course.

 

What's so notorious, so demonically clever, so gloriously evil about this idea is this:

 

People WILL do it.  Why?

 

Banking is expensive, and bank accounts become harder and harder to get.  Although I'm not a gambling man, I'd wager that in many ways, getting a credit card is easier.  The "unbanked" market will continue to grow, and as it does, you'll see more of this - because it's a cash cow that preys on that middle-lower-middle class market.  Just wait.

 

Excuse me, my brain is hurting.

Terrorism: A Tale of Two Mayors

Compare:

Michael Bloomberg, present mayor of New York, after the thwarted attempt to blow up John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday on how ordinary citizens can relate to possibility of terrorist post 9-11 (from the New York Times via WCBS tv:

There are lots of threats to you in the world. There's the threat of a heart attack for genetic reasons. You can't sit there and worry about everything. Get a life.

Contrast (and yes, this is in part a opinion piece, so tread wisely) with this story on yesterday's incident at a Giuliani gathering in Prison Planet.com:

Matt Lepacek, the reporter who was kicked out of the CNN press room and arrested after asking Rudy Giuliani's staff a question, has now been released on bail. Criminal indictments are now being pursued against the police involved as well as Giuliani's staffers for their flagrant abuse of the First Amendment, assault and wrongful arrest.

<snip>

The female staffer was witnessed to be instrumental in alerting the police to the "crime" of Lepacek asking a question that the Giuliani camp weren't comfortable with.

Rudkowski was assaulted and questioned on who he was working for despite the fact that he hadn't even asked a question and was standing separately from Lepacek.

Lepacek was told that other eyewitnesses saw police stamp on one of the cameras as it lay on the floor.

Another eyewitness said that the entire arrest was clearly being directed by Secret Service, who were ordering the police to threaten anyone who asked questions about the incident with arrest.

I find the dichotomy interesting.