Tag: politics (Page 1 of 2)

Daily Reading List — January 10th

January 10, 2017 / Scott / 0 Comments

AT&T launches IoT starter kits for AWS and Raspberry Pi – As a friend of mine likes to say…
Hmm…Interesting.

How Do You Know If You’re Beautiful? – I like to think you’ll know when the dog chooses YOU to let her out in the middle of the night.

Off-the-beaten-path innovation could rejuvenate Twitter – We need Twitter enabled cookware, plates, and silverware. That way we can automatically know what everyone is having for lunch.

Train Ugly – Random training over perfect reps. Unopposed rugby must die!!!

How to fix agile teams that are notoriously bad at hitting release dates – Looks like a lot of this depends on finishing enough projects, or at least stories, to have a big data set.

To Lead a Digital Transformation, CEOs Must Prioritize – “It’s about creating an agile organization that can detect what type of change is essential and respond quickly with the most competitive solution.”

A Call for a New Strenuous Age – Take the time to read the whole thing. Then start training for a marathon. Or going to cross fit. Or training jiu jitsu. Or playing rugby. Or rock climbing.

Get your ass beat. Often.

Why Is the United States So Divided? Simple, It Was Never United at All. –

Daily Reading List — November 17th

November 17, 2016 / Scott / 0 Comments

Touch Surgery Surgical Simulator –

What So Many People Don’t Get About the U.S. Working Class – It's important to me that our kids understand that we're multi-generational working class, and that we don't lose sight of that.

That's one reason I drink "Old Man Coffee". "Old Man Coffee" is made in a regular old coffee pot (or press) from a can that is bought in bulk. It doesn't come from a Starbucks or a single serving made-especially-for-me-by-a-machine cup.

"Old Man Coffee" was good enough for my old man. It was good enough for his old man too.

It's good enough for me.

Google Play Music starts using your location & activity to recommend tunes – Needed. Why should I have to search for my "Sunday Morning Coffee" playlist every Sunday morning while I'm making coffee?

Why should I have to search for my "Old Man Rolling" playlist when they know I'm at the gym during jiu jitsu class.

Can't wait!

The Great Fall of Chyna –

Microsoft Flow Is Out of Beta, Ready to Challenge IFTTT’s Automation – Microsoft does its products well. But they always seem to be late. Now I need a reason to switch from IFTTT, and charging me $5/month for something I'm already getting somewhere else for free isn't a good reason to switch.

BTW, this post was bookmarked in Pinboard by me. IFTTT automatically tweeted it with a link to the article on my behalf (without all this commentary), and it also made an appended a draft version of a blog post that continues to grow until x number of entries have been made, then automatically publishes out to my blog, which is where you're probably reading this.

This didn't take very long to set up, but why would I want to bother doing it again?

How To Clean Burnt Stains off Enameled Cookware – Works so great, I wish I'd taken before and after photos. Next time.

Who Wins in the Gig Economy, and Who Loses – "There’s no way to avoid the truth that fundamental changes in the ways we work are here to stay and are creating a new set of winners and losers. But the proliferation of new opportunities in the gig economy to choose how, how much, where, and when to work is one big win for all."

Was listening to Joe Rogan's podcast the other day, and he noted that the whole corporate structured way to work is a pretty new phenomenon. If you look at it over the course of history, it's just a blip. An anomaly.

Says the guy with a full-time job.

The Elimination Of Reason – Vote today with the 2020 election in mind. #MakeAmericaAgain

Daily Reading List — October 10th

October 10, 2013 / Scott / 0 Comments

Is the internet making you (think you’re) ill? You’re a cyberchondriac – Finally! There's a word for it!

US adults are dumber than the average human. – Our representation has known this for decades.

What makes triathletes so tough? – I always thought it was the crappy food choices we resort to during races.

“Best of the Fest” at the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Marketplace Booths! – I expect I'll be doubling down on the kimchi dogs.

Getting Political Again For Just A Minute

June 11, 2013 / Scott / 0 Comments

Haven’t done this for a long time. And, well, this isn’t strictly really political because I’m not really picking a side on anything here. At least I don’t think I am. These are mostly just some of my thoughts from recent conversations.

I have some friends who are outraged (their words) over the NSA data collection coming to light. Granted, this is not a good thing. But did anyone think for a second this wasn’t happening? It seems like the outrage really comes from the fact that their veil of plausible deniability has been lifted. This is especially true for those who voted for the current administration once or twice.

Oh, and for those who voted for the previous administration as well.

Yeah, nobody likes it that someone has access to information that wasn’t intended for them. But maybe I should feel a little flattered at the thought that maybe someone is actually paying attention to what I say and think? I mean, I’ve been blogging/twittering for a long time–attention is a pretty hard thing to come by. I mean, unless you tag other people in your photos, good luck distracting them from their own navel gazing.

Ok…I guess I’d rather them not pay attention to me until it is too late. *evil laugh*

If you want to be outraged, be outraged that this information was used to win elections.

You don’t believe that happened? Then be outraged that the people you voted for weren’t even smart enough to use this information to help them win elections. They’d already taken 90% of the public risk just by doing it…may as well take the baby steps with the last 10% to use it to their advantage.

The problem I see is that this NSA thing has taken so much attention away from the IRS thing (and the other scandals too…can’t remember them all). When the IRS is being used to push or hinder a political agenda, we have real problems. And it doesn’t matter whose agenda is being helped or hurt. This is very bad. Yet another reason to scrap the tax code completely.

I bet they wish they’d never tapped the AP phone lines. Because if they hadn’t done that, chances are pretty good we wouldn’t be hearing about the rest of this stuff. That was stupid.

Come to think of it, maybe they really weren’t smart enough to abuse their access to information to sway the elections.

Everything I Know About Polls

September 28, 2012 / Scott / 0 Comments

I learned from “Married With Children”.

Bud Bundy: We’re taking a family poll.

Kelly Bundy: What are we going to do with a pole?

Bud Bundy: We’re going to stick it in your head so we have a place to hang the sign that says, “Duh!”

Kelly Bundy: Great. You guys won’t let me pierce my nose, but you’re going to put a pole in my head.

Think about it America.

On The Paul Ryan Pick

August 14, 2012 / Scott / 0 Comments

Idea for a drinking game: a shot of espresso every time you read the words “Paul Ryan” and “math” in the same sentence.

If this guy goes all Ross Perot and starts showing a bunch of charts and graphs printed onto sturdy cardboard, he’s done for. But if he can show those same charts and graph in a Power Point with carefully selected fonts at a Lunch and Learn with free turkey sandwiches, chips, and sodas…well, then his message can’t help but resonate.

I also wonder if the fact that his name is “Paul” factored into the decision at all. Maybe there were hopes that name in itself would carry a few votes?

Florida Political Cage Match

January 23, 2012 / Scott / 0 Comments

If Mitt Romney had been thinking ahead, he could have put an ace in his pocket that he may just need. In rasslin’ terms, this would have been the proverbial foreign object or loaded boot. It may even be sneaky enough to be called an eye gouge.

Think about it–the guy’s been running for President pretty much continuously for the last 4 years. How shrewd would it have been to donate loads and loads of money to charities and err on the side of over-paying taxes for all of those years? Then, when his wealth/success became an issue and he was asked to release his tax information, he could reluctantly agree to release four years’ worth at just the right moment, showing just how generous and over-taxed he is.

And the obvious question to opponents would be, “how much have you given to charity and paid in taxes over the last four years?”

He’s spending money like mad anyway, and it doesn’t seem to be working. He probably could have donated his way out of his image as a one-percenter at a discount.

Image Credit

Link Dump – I Think The Debt Ceiling Is Causing Global Warming

July 28, 2011 / Scott / 0 Comments

Five Facts About the Debt

“When it was Chrysler secured bondholders objecting to getting defaulted on by the president’s auto task force, Mr. Obama denounced them as “a small group of speculators” who were “hoping that everybody else would make sacrifices and they would have to make none.” Where was Mr. Obama’s newfound respect for bondholders back during the Chrysler deal?”

NASA Data Blow Gaping Hole In Global Warming Alarmism – The hell you say! Can we go back to regular light bulbs now?

Tips for overcoming fear of open water swimming – Good stuff here on overcoming your fears. Now I just need to find out why I feel like I’m going so much slower in the open water so I can calm down.

How to Migrate Your Facebook Account and Data to Google+ – Making some assumptions you actually want to move all that stuff, but useful!

Ironman Lake Placid Race Report – @emilysweats has written of the best race reports ever. Worth your time

‘Mad Men’ Begins Streaming on Netflix – Cracking open a single malt scotch and settling in for this one.

Why Leaders Need to Exercise – I’ve found this to be almost exclusively true, and not just with leaders. People in general seem to be more productive, less affected by stress, and more pleasant to be around when they are fit. I know I am.

Long Overdue Link Dump

May 2, 2011 / Scott / 0 Comments

I’ve been crazy busy with work for the past few weeks, and a lot has happened. Obviously, I haven’t been reading very much, but here’s a small sample.

An Outsider’s Guide to a Triathlon – Love Todd’s approach.

Justice is Not an Excuse for Jubilation – Pretty much how I feel about it all.

Gas Pump Activism – This. Is. Awsum.

Surprise! Woman finds 7-foot gator in bathroom – Had to read this just to make sure she didn’t find it in my bathroom. Of course, I’d be just as concerned about this woman wandering into the house as I would the gator.

Apocalypse later: what happens the day after we hit the debt ceiling – The horror. The horror.

Higher Education: The Next Asset Bubble? – If you consider college to be an investment, it’s reasonable to calculate your ROI before investing, right?

Social Media for Small Businesses: 6 Effective Strategies – Great tips here for one man shows!

Online Poker Legal Now (in D.C.) – I bet (haha) it won’t take long until this ripples out.

Ron Paul Running!

April 26, 2011 / Scott / 2 Comments

Just like last time, I still think he has no chance of winning. But just like last time, he will have the ability to shift the debate towards more libertarian ideas.

The big difference this time around is that Gary Johnson is also running. So instead of being the only libertarian voice in the mainstream debate, there will now be two voices–one a little more extreme than the other. Just an idea here, but maybe Trump is to Palin as Paul is to Johnson.

I do think people are going to be paying more attention this time around when Ron Paul somehow finds a way to tie every single debate question back to the Federal Reserve. You have to give him credit for staying on message. But I think people may be more drawn to Gary Johnson. Not because he’s saying anything that much different than Ron Paul, but because of the way he says it.

Kindle Price Dropping and A Bunch of Other Financial Stuff

April 12, 2011 / Scott / 0 Comments

Here’s another mind dump of thoughts on a few of the link worthy things I’ve read lately…enjoy!

Now you can buy a Kindle for $114! The gotcha here is that you have to be willing to look at ads and special offers. Still, I’m glad to see the price coming down one way or another. I still think the magic price for this device is $99. At least, that’s the price at which I’d bite.

5 Common Remote Work Misconceptions – Word!

Roth IRA: Time to retire Roth IRAs – Could not be more wrong. This guy needs to run the numbers, although I doubt he’d know where to start to do that. Roth IRAs and Traditional IRAs generate the exact same tax revenue if you make the assumption that the tax rate doesn’t change. But for the gov’ment, they get to have their candy now instead of waiting for you to retire. The upside for the account holder only comes if they end up in a higher tax bracket or tax rates rise across the board. Look where people have placed their bets.

Gov Shutdown’s Impact – Great argument by @newscoma for keeping $ in state instead of sending it to D.C. 🙂

IKEA desktop – <3 IKEA. This is pretty cool.

Portugal, Illinois and Caterpillar – “The Portugese have decided to protest against mathematics….” That’s pretty much all you need to know. Of course, as Dave Ramsey likes to point out, if they’d been doing math they wouldn’t be in this mess.

I’m reading– February 27th through March 10th

March 10, 2011 / Scott / 0 Comments

Mandatory DNA sampling threatens constitutional liberties – Check out my boy BCM in the Washington Examiner.

Spotlight-Chasing Candidates of 2012 – Some of these things are not like the others. Mr. Will focuses on two of the three spotlight-chasers. Thankfully, he doesn't even give the third a passing mention.

Make a Local Backup Of Your Gmail Account – Was just telling someone how awesome the cloud is…and how you need to have every bit of it backed up locally.

Triathlon as a means of birth control – I'm only one case study, but I can't recommend this method. One thing they didn't discuss is what happens to testosterone levels when training is cut back (post "big" race). That may explain a lot in my case.

The changing face of fame – Based on the "stars without makeup" photos I've seen, I credit improvements in makeup and lighting mostly. I have a feeling Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn didn't look too shabby in sweats at the grocery store.

Mexican Standoff In Congress?

November 3, 2010 / Scott / 0 Comments

There’s a possibility we could be looking at two years scripted by Quentin Tarantino. Maybe the standard finger pointing that we’re used to seeing is about to be replaced by something far more complicated.

Democrats have lost a lot of their Blue Dog numbers. I’ve actually read some people spinning this as the people in their districts were frustrated that they weren’t taking a “progressive enough” stance. If you really believe that, go pop some popcorn and enjoy what’s about to happen amongst Democrats as their leadership tries to pull them even further to the left. That would be disastrous for the Left and good for the country, so I’m not going to discourage it at all.

And, unless they get co-opted by the “Trent-Lott-Carl-Rove” Republicans, we’re probably going to see some infighting on that side of the aisle too. Again, probably bad for Republicans, but good for the country. Marco Rubio’s speech was dead on–last night wasn’t an embrace of the Republican Party, just a second chance.

If things don’t change, we could *gulp* be looking at a serious third party next time around. And if the establishment Democrats and Republicans aren’t careful, they may actually be that third party–on the outside looking in.

I’m generally happiest with a federal government that’s not doing much of anything. The less they try to create jobs (that’s a function of government?), bail people out, spend our money on our behalf, impose morality (love the irony), prop up favored industries, etc. the better off we all are. This usually happens when we are lucky enough to have opposing parties in the executive and legislative branches. Maybe now we’ll have so much debate of ideas going on that only the really good ones that have been properly vetted can float to the top.

“Yolanda, it’s cool baby. It’s cool! We’re still just talkin’. Come on point the gun at me. Point the gun at me.”

Moving America Forward, One Rasslin’ Promo At A Time

October 19, 2010 / Scott / 0 Comments

Was this filmed when Barack Obama was a community organizer? The abundance of gray hair makes me think it’s pretty recent, but the quality of the video makes me think it was shot in the hallway of a 3,000 seat arena somewhere in flyover country to promote the “big event, right out there at the fairgrounds on November 2…we couldn’t have it on October 26th ’cause the flea market is that week.”

Watch and learn. THIS is how you correctly do a rasslin’ promo:

Gettin’ After It!