nplusm

Are you kidding me?

2009-03-15T15:20:53Z

More snow?

This borders on the absurd.

"What will I be known for" ponders the Earl of Sandwich

2009-03-15T05:06:17Z

There is an old Onion article where the Earl of Sandwich muses how history will record his name, based on his many effects on the world. At the end, he orders a sandwich, which is his clever way to get food without requiring a full place setting. Ha, subtext!

Ok, so on the Internet, there are various truisms and axioms and such.

Godwin's Law is the most famous Internet law that came out of in the 90s.

I'm currently working on my own.

Recently, I made a post about the current economic crisis, some of my observations, and so personal opinions. I turned off commenting. A friend commented on it calling it a "stinky" thing to do.

However, I came to the following conclusion, based on a conversation I had with jeffbadge.

Anybody who I would want to discuss my post with has my email, probably my phone number, and likely sees me from time to time. If they want to have a discussion with me about the subject matter, they have avenues with which to pursue it.

In addition, most people have their own journals in which they can offer differences of opinions, counter examples, or rebuttals.

The reason I don't want to engage in a debate on my journal about these things is based on a new axiom I'm toying with.

I'm trying to put together the wording on an Internet axiom.

Never get into a public argument on the Internet with somebody who has more free time than you.

In truth, it could be shortened to Never get into a public argument on the Internet, but I think the former longer axiom has more appeal.

The reason behind the axiom is that people will argue persistently, and as you taper off, due to more pressing uses of your time, the argument will devolve into your silence being a tacit agreement to some point made. In most cases, from what I've seen, Internet arguments are not won by weight of fact or strength of logic, but by sheer amount of text and free time a side is willing to devote to the "cause". It's not dissimilar to legal cases where a large firm buries the smaller firm with paperwork and motions.

These days, most people have more spare time than I do. So, to follow the axiom, I'm going to keep the comments off, if the post is about some opinion or cause that I fear will engender some contention.

Perhaps this axiom will be of use to others.

Man...I could really go for a sandwich...where are the watercress?

nplusm @ 2009-03-14T00:38:00

2009-03-14T08:17:43Z

I was thinking about the dire worldly straits that have beset the globe recently. It's particularly telling to me, as it's a global crisis, that no single person, party, or entity can be pointed to as "the cause". It's a confluence of events, with plenty of people having their oars in the waters. To blame it on the previous administration or current administration seems a bit oriented more out of making political hay out of the crisis than trying to find a solution.

I come from a soft generation. I know that sounds harsh or judgmental, and it is, to a point. From my observations, my generation never had a real trial of character or conscience to beset it. There has been no draft, no fuel crisis (I vaguely recall the crisis of the 70s, but certainly I was not at an age to pull identity from it}, we had brief and scary rattling of swords with the USSR on occasion, but nothing akin to the Cuban Missile crisis. We didn't have to live with the severing of segregation laws, forced zoning, or suffrage. There is some arguments about right to terminate pregnancy and gay marriage, but the struggle has been mostly limited to the courts. Perhaps I am naive, but I don't think the effect of being denied the right to be married is quite as vicious as being denied the right to get an education or the right to vote.

As I grew up, I watched many of my peers (as well as myself), cast around for an identity, a cause to stand for, a moment to take my rights and freedoms and forge them into a cause for the good and the just. The desire to band together and take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing, end them. There was and is the desire to stand for something...to stand up for a cause all but lost, or stand up for a cause all but won...and be part of something, some change, some global good. However, trying band together, be part of something bigger, is tough when times are rich and plentiful. It's tough to convince people to risk the system to heal an injustice in times of wealth. However, in times of crisis, people can come together, because when you start losing your material possessions, the immaterial possessions, the ones you can't lose, become more important. You need to ensure your inner self {soul, spirit, conscience or whatever} is worth holding on to.

I have a few things on the burner, in hopes of helping my community...but the thing I think about the most is the people who will try to profit out of this. Whether it is fiscal profit through subversion of the system, or political profit by cutting at the people working in government. These people need to be shunned, pushed aside, ignored. I changed banks recently because I could not continue to bank with an agency who had acted so reprehensibly in the past decade. I have written to a certain Senator of mine, condemning her for her vicious undermining of the other party at the expense of constructive rebuilding. I will be asking for some more specifics from the agencies asking me for money to help the community...to give me some level of surety that they aren't just soaking the public. All these things, I will be doing from a quiet pulpit.

The reason I'm not naming names, is because that would be me making my own political hay. This is a judgment I have to make for myself, and, I believe, it is the responsibility for each citizen to do the same. To discretely examine the effect of an entity and act accordingly, this is my plan, and what I believe to be the responsibility of each citizen.

It's not something done in a weekend, unfortunately. This will require a prolonged effort, and I'll probably slip up countless times. However, I guess that what it means to me, to act as an adult.

Come gather round people wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth saving
Then you'd better start swimming or you'll sink like a stone
For the times, they are a changing

Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pens
And keep your eyes open, the chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon, the wheel's still in spin
And there's no telling who that it's naming
Oh the loser will be later to win
For the times, they are a changing

Come senators, congressmen, please head the call
Don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be her that has stalled
The battle outside ragging will soon shake your windows
And rattle your hall
For the times, they are a changing

Come mothers and fathers all over this land
And don't criticize what you can't understand
Your sons and your daughter are beyond your command
Your old role is rapidly aging
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend a hand
For the times they are a changing

The line, it is drawn, the curse, it is cast
The slow one will later be fast
And the present now will soon be the past
The order is rapidly fading
The first one now will later be last
For the times, they are a changing

The New Economy

2009-02-27T04:20:15Z

For a while now, I've had a Capital One mastercard. It has served me well. It has had an APR of 11.04 percent, and I generally keep it paid off. One time, in the four years I've had the card, I paid the bill three days late. All in all, a solid customer credit card relationship has been had by all.

However, today I got a letter saying they are CHANGING my terms.

Starting April 17th, I get a "promotional" APR of 17.9 percent...until January 1st, 2010.

Upon January first, I will have a variable APR based on 26.15% + the Prime rate. They estimate my interest rate to be about 29.4%.

The reason for this...."extraordinary changes in the economic environment".

As you may imagine, I am not alone in getting stiffed by Capital One.

The reality is, come June, credit cards will no longer be able to raise your APR without cause. Capital One is clearly trying to act preemptively, to make as much money as possible. I'm betting, if you cancel your card, you'll get a new card offered to you in July at the old rate. This is just a guess.

Ok, by and large, I'm a believer in the freedom to contract, and I normally would quietly cancel my card, and give them the finger from the privacy of my own home.

However, Capital One just recently took a huge 3.56 billion dollars in bailout money. They used this to buy some banks despite being in a healthy financial state. This means, in my eyes, they are beholden to the stockholders to an extent. To take a bailout payment and then turn around and undercut the citizenry is just appalling. The point of the bailout was to encourage lending, to unfreeze the credit markets, but this is a step in the exact opposite direction. Crippling interest rates do not encourage credit markets.

Needless to say, I'm going to be canceling my Capital One card...I don't have a balance on it, so it will be easy.

I'm not a big fan of government interference in business....until tax monies get involved. I think the government is going to have to drop a big hammer on these banks, who are taking the money for the purpose of opening up the credit markets, and then holding to the conservative strategy.

Writer's Block: Adult Onset

2009-02-21T01:28:48Z

Putting legal definitions aside, at what age do you think someone can really be considered an adult?

View 500 Answers

Happy to be wrong

2008-11-05T04:38:48Z

If you asked me a year ago, was America at a point in it's populace maturity to elect a minority president, I would have said no. I would have had arguments, and pointed to divisive issues, and I would have been wrong.

I have never been as proud of my country and its people as tonight. I owe America an apology, my view of its bias and reactionary ways was clearly incorrect, and I was wrong for espousing them.

It's somewhat humbling, but it is the most eager and accepting humiliation I have ever accepted. My country is more than what I thought it to be...and that makes my heart glad.

Jake's Unpopular Opinion Hour

2008-10-25T08:02:04Z

So, I think we should vote No on Seattle Proposition 1.

First of all, let's address the logic of their statement. This is the tax to support the Pike Place Market revisions and improvements.

"Proposition 1 is a one-time, 6 year investment in our market"

Then, on the same flyer it says "This is a timely investment in an institution that has repaid earlier support many times in creation of small-business opportunities".

Wait, earlier support? What happened to the one-time? Do we really believe there will never be a request for further revisions? Or do they hope by the time further revisions are requested, we'll have forgotten about this request.

Which brings me to the very popular "extension of levies" technique that is used so often in Seattle politics. When this levy is up, they will ask for a renewal for new purpose, and will say "No new taxes, just an extension of the levy"...this they have done several time, as we all know. You instantiate a levy by promising it to be a fixed amount of time, and then extend it by claiming it is "no new taxes". You can bet that when this levy is up, something new will come up to renew it.

Next point, there is no reason to create a new tax to support this. We can do it out of current funds. The stadiums have taught us that things can be built, fixed, and maintained without voter approval, sometimes in direct defiance of voters. There is no reason they can't perform these repairs out of the current tax base. This is basically a new tax using an emotional icon as the bait. Schools and historic institutions are prime candidates for opening wallets, and that's what they are doing.

For instance, let's say the public restoration budget for Seattle is 100 dollars a person, and Pike Place Market is on the block for restoration.

They can reduce the public restoration budget by 42 dollars a person, to 58 dollars, put that 42 dollars in some other area (let's call it the slush fund), and then put on the ballot an initiative for 42 dollars a person for restoration of Pike Place.

The total restoration budget is returned to 100 dollars, and the slush fund is increased by 42 dollars, and they will claim the extra tax is going to the restoration fund. Well, that would be true, except that money is fungible, and politicians know this. When ever you want to raise taxes, aim the taxes to some purpose that people are sympathetic to, and then drain the taxes out of that reservoir.

So, to reiterate, No on Prop 1. It's an emotional purse grab, using lies and dirty techniques.

That said, also vote yes on initiative 1000....because, duh!

I hate my internet

2008-08-02T16:49:59Z

It drops for a few moments fairly regularly.

I'm almost certain it's comcast, but they claim it isn't. They state everything is peachy...and the problem is in the three routers I tried...or the wireless cards on all my devices.

Long overdue cell phone feature

2008-06-30T10:45:01Z

For the past year, the lack of the following function on modern cell phones has really bothered me.

The ability to turn cell phones silent for a given duration. Instead of having a switch that makes the cell phone quiet or noisy, there should be an option where I can tell my cell phone;

"Be silent for the next 3 hours"
or
"Be silent everyday from 10pm to 8am"

I can't believe the programming would be that difficult, and with the majority of phone functionality based in the phoneOS these days, I doubt it's even much of a technical hurdle.
My iPhone, for instance, has an interface within the programming where I can, using the software interface, change the ringer volume, vibrate features, etc. Surely the programming to allow "Silent for this duration" would not be difficult. No more forgetting to turn your ringer on after movies. No more being awaken by errant calls or text messages while asleep...or, if you turn off your ringer at night, no more worries about turning it back on in the morning.

So simple, so useful...how does this not exist?

Addendum
I sent this post, pretty much verbatim, to the Apple as an enhancement request for the iPhone.

Looking for a place

2008-06-17T17:59:30Z

Looking for some Seattle information.

My board game group (boxcar gaming) is looking for a new place to have our board games on Wednesday nights. We have previously been gaming at the Wayward Coffeehouse on Tuesdays, but the change in game night in combination with Wayward's Wednesday activities means we have to find a new place.

The requirements of the new place are as follows.

1. Must have a large table or the ability to create large playing surfaces.
2. Must not play music so loud that you have to shout to be heard
3. Must supply a reasonable variety of edibles
4. Must be open till at least 10pm

It is proving to be a remarkably tall order.

public resource

2007-12-01T13:52:10Z

I have a subscription to the online Consumer Reports for the next year or so.

If you want the log in information to do some recon, please just email me for the creds.

Kindle

2007-11-24T21:00:03Z

Does anybody have a Kindle? I would like to see one with my own eyes.

Jake's Washington Initiative Voter's Guide

2007-10-25T21:52:20Z

I realized with the election coming up, I haven't really discussed the initiatives that are in this election.
Here are the issues I feel most strongly about.

Ppl. Ini. 960

Ballot Title
Initiative Measure No. 960 concerns tax and fee increases imposed by state government.

This measure would require two-thirds legislative approval or voter approval for tax increases, legislative approval of fee increases, certain published information on tax-increasing bills, and advisory votes on taxes enacted without voter approval.

This one sticks in my craw, because it's an Eyman...whom I hate. However, putting aside my animosity for the man, I don't find anything particularly offensive about this bill. It requires a 2/3rds vote by the legislature or voter approval for tax increases.

With the recent abuses of governments on all levels, I'm very much in favor of defanging a simple majority. We've seen at great length the damage caused when there is no power by a dissenting group. Wars, budget plans, health care reforms that devastate low income families have been caused by slim majorities. Since our current tax base is mainly percentage based, it automatically grows with the economy. I'm in favor of 2/3rds majority or voter approval for tax increases. Really, what is the worst case scenario? A new tax requires additional support? It certainly beats the alternative.

Yes on 960

Ref 67

Ballot Title
The legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5726 (ESSB 5726) concerning insurance fair conduct related to claims for coverage or benefits and voters have filed a sufficient referendum petition on this bill.

This bill would make it unlawful for insurers to unreasonably deny certain coverage claims, and permit treble damages plus attorney fees for that and other violations. Some health insurance carriers would be exempt.

This is a no brainer. I believe insurance companies should be on the hook for heavy damages for withholding claims or denying reasonable claims. Certainly, without any sort of sufficient inducement to the contrary, it would be in their interest to deny most claims if the worst that can happen is they have to pay the original due amount, plus small penalties. Insurance companies know full well most people can't afford lawyers, and take advantage of that excessively. In addition, most insurance companies are FLUSH. They aren't teetering on the edge. Making them accountable for unethical behavior is only just.

Yes on Ref 67

Hs. Jt Reso. 8212

Ballot Title
The legislature has proposed a constitutional amendment on school district tax levies.

This amendment would provide for approval of school district excess property tax levies by simple majority vote of participating voters, and would eliminate supermajority approval requirements based on voter turnout in previous elections.

Should this constitutional amendment be:

Approved Rejected

For the love of god, this needs to be rejected. This constitutional amendment needs to be rejected, stomped flat, and tossed out the door.

This is another attempt to reduce the checks and balances of a decent all people democracy. The change from a super-majority to a majority is from 60% to 50%. You may wonder, why do they want to reduce the effort required to create excess levies 10%? The reason pretty much speaks for itself. Currently, more than 40% of the people generally are not in support of these excess levies. This amendment is expressly created to take power from that section of the people. Super-majority and 2/3rds vote requirements are there for a reason. The reason being, too often the majority tromps on the minority opinion. Approving this measure is actively tromping on minority opinion.

Let's keep in mind that super-majorities are attainable! You can still have your excess levies, but it requires you to have a convincing argument and be able to get a 60% yea vote. Please, do not quiet the little guy.

Reject this amendment!

PSA

2007-10-25T19:39:08Z

If you are driving north on Aurora today....Go the SPEED LIMIT.

On my way back from lunch (going the speed limit) I passed;

3 people pulled over
1 cruiser and 2 motorcycle cops hanging out on a side street north of the bridge, waiting
2 cops with radar guns standing on the pedestrian overpass at 41st st.

They are out in force....stay slow!

Baseball Excitement

2007-10-01T16:14:52Z

Single Game Playoff for the NL wildcard today. San Diego vs. Colorado.

I'm rooting for Colorado, because, come on, they won 13 out of 14 to drag themselves out of the cellar and become contenders. It's like bad baseball movie type drama.

So, go Colorado!

Black Beard's Treasure

2007-04-12T21:38:11Z

I give you the only authentic Pirate Hip-hop because I have nothing but love for all of you!

Jaap Penraat

2007-04-11T15:04:03Z

Today is the Birthday of Jaap Penraat (burgunder, thanks for the reminder).

Jaap Penraat is in my pantheon of truly heroic people.

He forged papers for Nazi prisoners being sent as slave labor to the Atlantic Wall area of France during World War II. Through forging papers, he managed to smuggle over 400 people out of the Nazi occupations. In the middle of his operations, he was captured and tortured by Nazi interior guards. For two months he was forced to share a tiny cell with 4 other people, with only a bucket for their waste. They were forced to stand 20 hours a day, and were frequently beaten. He did not break, and when he was released, he went back to making papers. He was forced into hiding for several years near the end of the war. He got married, had 3 daughters, and became an architect. He was awarded the Israeli Medal of the Righteous Among Nations.

However, when asked why he took such risks, he said,

"You do these things because in your mind, there is no other way of doing it".

If you would like to visit his grave, and leave flowers, it's located in Catskill Cemetary in Catskill, New York.

What am I doing here on the floor?

2007-04-06T05:11:30Z

Today during my boxing session I got knocked out. Not knocked down (though that happened as well), but knocked out. I was in the middle of an uppercut, trying to get under his high guard, when he hauled off a roundhouse punch that connected right above my right eye (on the headgear), and I then I was on the floor and he was standing over me. According to him, I was only out the briefest of seconds, but wow, quite the jarring discontinuity.

It was very cool!

you tube

2007-03-24T14:54:54Z

My favorite movie scene from 2006

seeking donations

2007-03-19T23:14:02Z

Does anybody have any of the following I can borrow/have?

Music Stand
Mirror

My flute instructor says I should play in front of a mirror...which I currently lack.

I suppose I could just hit Fred Meyer for both.

Erica C Barnett....full of crap again

2007-03-15T19:07:16Z

Here is what The Stranger lists as "News" this week.

It's by Erica C Barnett, and I think the first paragraph sets the whole tone.

"The Winning Option Tuesday, March 13, wasn't even on the ballot. After Mayor Nickel's tunnel netted a paltry 30 percent of the vote (70 perecnt against) and the state's elevated highway option got barely 45 percent (55 percent against), the clear winner was the surface/transit option."

Ok, let's take a look at this "news" piece. First I would like to note her choice of adjectives, before I get to here faulty logic.

the state's elevated highway option got barely 45 percent (55 perecnt against).
Why use the word "barely" to describe 45 percent? It's an attempt to minimize it...and if you don't think so, consider this. If it got "barely 45%" then it received, at least, 45%, probably a little bit more. That means the people voting against it were a little less than 55%. However, does she say "Not quite 55% against" or "pretty much 55% against"? No, she says "55% against" with no adjective. If she had said "45% for and 55% against" that would be fine. However, why give one a minimizing adjective and not the other unless you have an agenda?

Ok, moving on to the logic of "The clear winner was the surface/transit option". Really? Do we have that information? To know that, we would need to know how many of the votes were "no/no". We don't have that. In fact, if I was going to look at the information logically, I would assume most people who voted yes voted yes for one or the other (It is possible there is a flurry of "yes/yes" votes, but it seems unlikely, and certainly, nothing in Erica C Barnett's article discusses it one way or the other).

So, if we assume people who vote yes on one voted no on the other, then what we would see is.

45% voted Yes elevated highawy, No tunnel
30% voted Yes tunnel, No elevated highway
25% voted No tunnel, No elevated highway

If this is the case, we would get exactly the stats Erica C Barnett reports. The clear winner? The elevated highway.

Now, this is assuming people voted Yes/No, and not Yes Yes. We don't have this information, since ballot results are not returned as batch votes. But let's consider this a bit more.

In order for No/No to beat the elevated highway, 45% of the ballots cast would have to be No/No.

We know that 55% of the ballots voted no on the elevated highway, the question is, how many of those No votes were yes votes for the Tunnel?

Well, in order for the No/no ballot to beat the Yes tunnel vote, you must assume that 66.6% of the votes for the tunnel were also votes for the elevated highway. That would break the balloting down to this.

Yes elevate/yes tunnel = 20% of the vote
Yes elevate / No Tunnel = 25% of the vote
Yes tunnel / No elevate = 10% of the vote
No Tunnel / No elevate = 45% of the vote

It seems highly unlikely that the voting would have been so heavily Yes/yes, but it's possible. The election results certainly don't provide information to that level. If Erica C Barnett has access to these numbers, she doesn't publish them. I must then assume that either A) She has no more access to these numbers than I do or B) She has access to these numbers and does not publish them because they weaken her case. I'm guessing it's A.

There is no Clear Winner in this election.

Happy Pi Day

2007-03-14T18:04:17Z

Pi!

Memorial

2007-03-07T21:17:38Z

Today one of the greatest american heroes passed on. He was gunned down in front of a courthouse by a sniper, the latest victim in the war on terror.

To that great man, I thank you for example you set for me and your tireless efforts for liberty and freedom on the behalf of a country that often did you wrong. I appreciate the example you set for me.

Rest In Peace, Steve Rogers

May 1941 - March 7 2007

Avengers Assemble!

Citizen Hero

2007-02-26T05:51:43Z

I find this independent five minute film to be hysterically funny! Plus I have the mandatory crush on Scout.

impetus v. cause

2007-02-24T17:48:49Z

I want to explain something about my thinking and writing, which I think causes some confusion, and oftentimes, some miscommunication.

I have thoughts that brew in my mind constantly. Ideas ...theories ...Observations ...Inventions are pulsating around my mind and developing all the time. If you hang out with me, you'll often hear me say something along the lines of "I have a theory about that" and rattle off some, usually ridiculous, theory or set of observations. What has occurred is that my brain has found the impetus to spout its musings forth. This happens for my journal and writings in general. Sometimes a person will say something that will be my impetus for a post...which is different than being the cause of my post. I realize I'm splitting hairs, but it's an important distinction, I believe.

It's seldomn if ever meant as a direct attack or response to the event that caused the impetus, though the timing would seem to suggest it could be nothing but. It's just the final push or pop that causes me to actually say something on my own.

It is likely a bad habit that I should consider modifying, as I can certainly see that it takes the form of something more directed.