8/21/2011

Thoughts On A Sunday

The search for a new Weekend Pundit Official Main Computer continues. I've narrowed it down to a couple of models, both HP. A check with Consumer Reports will help me finalize which one I'll purchase.

While the new machine will be far and above what it's replacing, it will by no means be leading edge technology. With one addition that will be added aftermarket (a second SATA drive with 500GB capacity), it should require no further tweaks. The new machine will come with Windows 7 Professional (required by my employer's IT department if I want to be able to use their VPN). I will also be installing Linux, hence the second hard drive. (I prefer to have each OS on its own drive, making it easier to reconfigure the machine should one of the drives fail.)

I hope to see the new machine by September 1st.

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One thing I should mention: I managed to resurrect the present Weekend Pundit Official Main Computer, but it took a lot of work to get it going again. I dare not shut it down for fear that I won't be able to get it going again. I have been making backups of the most recent data stored just to make it easier to move it to the new machine should this one fail again.

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As I mentioned in this post, the two unions representing workers in Verizon's landline business union have been on strike for the past two weeks. Apparently they've decided it's time to go back to the bargaining table as their strike was not having the effect they'd expected.

In the past such a strike would have had major repercussions, but because landlines are now a minor operation compared to Verizon's other ventures, the strike didn't have the impact it would have even ten years ago.

People and a number of small businesses have been abandoning their landlines for cell phones due to the lower costs and portability. Even larger businesses have switched from many of the incumbent telephone companies in favor of their competitors, either other telcos or cable providers.

Under those circumstances is it any wonder the strike created barely a blip in the awareness of the public?

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Professor Jacobsen offers us a glimpse into the minds of CEO's by way of a survey conducted by ChiefExecutive.net.

The results shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's been paying attention to the economy or runs a business, with over 66 percent of those surveyed saying “they expect the size of their workforces to either stay the same or decrease over the next year.”

That does not bode well for Obama.

The President has been claiming things are turning around, but the folks he's actually dependent upon to make that happen (whether he realizes it or not) are saying it isn't going to happen unless the President and Congress remove a number of economic disincentives.

Knowing the President's inclinations, the chances of that happening before the 2012 election are somewhere between slim and none.

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A member of the Obama Administration further weakens the Constitution by requiring colleges and universities to ignore things like evidence, beyond a reasonable doubt, double jeopardy, and the right to confront an accuser when it comes to sexual harassment and sexual assault on campuses.

It is becoming increasingly apparent the Obama Administration really doesn't like the idea of “due process”, “rights of the accused”, and other pesky constitutional protections.

We've heard of more than one case where a college student has been accused of sexual assault, the local police have investigated and found no evidence of such an assault (and in one case, charged an accuser of filing a false report), yet the institution of higher learning still finds the accused guilty, puts them on probation, or worse, expels them.

If such a double standard is not quashed on constitutional grounds. And if you think such actions won't expand outside of college campuses, then you are deluding yourself. “Innocent until proven guilty” will be replaced with “if accused, must be guilty...even if eventually found innocent”.

(H/T Maggie's Farm)

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Another lesson the Left should learn if they want to keep American companies here in the US: Don't make it so attractive for those companies to leave for greener pastures in the first place.

By this, I don't mean punish them for looking to reduce their tax and regulatory burdens. Instead, stop punishing them for being successful, stop hitting them with higher taxes, more draconian financial regulations, and more business-unfriendly rules and regulations. All of these things are factors that cause companies to expatriate to friendlier climes. If you make it painful enough for them, then they'll leave at their first opportunity, taking their taxes, their capital, and perhaps lots of jobs with them when they go.

The Left doesn't seem to realize that no business is required to go bankrupt or to stiff their investors just because the Left thinks it's the 'right' thing to do. In fact, it's suicidal for any business to do the right thing, as the Left sees it. Not that I expect the Left to realize that any time soon.

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It turns out that cats are Republicans and dogs are Democrats.

We've known that here at The Manse for some time, seeing as we have 73/4 cats and they all exhibit libertarian traits. They really aren't into the collective action thing.

(H/T BogieBlog)

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President Obama's vacation down on the Vineyard is causing problems for island residents, as it usually does when a president decides to vacation on the island. (Here in New England we refer to Martha's Vineyard as The Vineyard. Pretty much everyone here knows what it means.)

Between restricted airspace all but shutting down the airport, traffic restrictions, certain portions of the island closed off from the public, and even sections of any of the towns where the President happens to be at any particular time restricted, it's making life a bit more difficult for those visiting or living on the Vineyard.

I know my friends on the island dislike it when the bigwigs show up because it means they usually have to change their work schedules or their plans, both on and off-island.

One thing you could say about Dubya was that when he went on vacation he usually went home to Crawford, which inconvenienced very few people and made it easier for all concerned, including the Secret Service.

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It's not only Ayn Rand getting lots of quotes during these economically perilous time in which we find ourselves. Robert Heinlein is also worth repeating. Glenn Reynolds has taken to quoting him quite often.

As one PJM reader comments, “Heinlein has the same outlook as Ayn Rand, but writes with a little more fun and fantasy.”

What makes Heinlein so engaging is that much of what he wrote, specificallyly his 'wisdom', holds true as much today as it did 60 years ago. I guess that tells us things really haven't changed all that much.

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Sarah Palin may not have announced herself as a candidate for the GOP nomination, but this sure as heck looks like a campaign ad to me.



(H/T And So It Goes In Shreveport by way of Pirate's Cove)

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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where a line of thunderstorms have cooled things off, the annual Timberman Triathlon has had another successful weekend, and where my computer is still broken.