"In a democracy (‘rule by mob’), those who refuse to learn from history will be the majority and will dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance."
Notsomuch this post as the oneBeagle Scout points to which contains, among other things, this pointed question:
How did we have a bill, the EESA/TARP that obligated citizens to pay $700 billion in taxes that we do not have (that is, to put us all in debt by another $700 billion), that was opposed from 100:1 to 300:1 in calls, faxes and letters to Congress, was passed over those objections with an election less than a month away, and we the people then returned 90% of those who voted “Yes” and stood for re-election to office?
That’s right. Instead of “throwing the tea in the harbor” we sent the poisonous shi, urm, tea bags back to poison our government/society with their toxic bloviations made law.
Good catch, Beagle Scout. Now, y’all go read and remember:
Add two practice days on my horn. Used to play more instruments, but now only one. Used to play regularly; now only practice some. As it is, not really enough to keep my lip in shape to really play, although I guess I could if I had to. Add two days/week regularly. Lip in good enough shape, I could always serenade the dogs.
OK, that’s enough. A week of resolutions is more than I’ve written down in a decade. I’ll just work on these for a while.
I’ve been wanting to take a small, light car and convert it to an electric plugin/hybrid*, but several factors have made me put off doing so. Now it looks like one roadblock may be falling:
One of the key points critics have leveled at the electric car movement is that any money saved by switching gas stations for the power point will be lost when the battery fades and needs replacing. With battery costs currently still high, this is a valid concern – but how long can a battery pack last? Battery provider Southern California Edison have been testing a lithium-ion battery subpack for two and a half hears now and have demonstrated a life of more than 180,000 miles without significant performance deterioration.
Of course, battery service life is just one of several factors influencing when/if I’ll actually get to such a project, but at least that’s one excuse that may be knocked down. “May be” since the test wasn’t under real life conditions, just a lab simulation.
*”plugin/hybrid”? Yeh, I’d like to be able to tow a generator on trips longer than the battery pack can handle on its own without recharge, and have the gas- or diesel-powered generator feed the batteries/electrical system on demand if necessary. Kinda like this car:
Although, I do NOT expect to ever do a conversion that can do this:
In line with the other “Road Ahead, volume 1” posts, here’s a suggestion: you have (or have access to) a computer or you’d not be reading this. If you’re not already using some sort of personal finance software to budget and plan for the future, get off your a$$… ets and Just Do It. Here are three tightwad-satisfying, cross-platform suggestions (there are certainly others, but these have strong followings):
Free software to manage your personal finances. Words to warm the cockles of any tightwad’s heart.
(Addendum: For those who may read this but who have only access to someone else’s computer, not one of their own, Gnu Cash is available in a portable version one can carry on a USB flash drive and use on almost any computer that has available USB ports. Two other portable money management softwares are available at the linked site as well.)
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I do hereby resolve to try to find something good to say about politicians *spit* this year. It’s so easy (“like breathing out and breathing in”) to find things to say about politicians *spit* that are not good that searching for the needle (good) in the haystack (bad) is a chore to make Sisyphus cringe, daunt Hercules and make Diogenes’ search for an honest man look like a walk in the park, but I do resolve to try.
I do not resolve to try to find something good to say about government bureaucraps. That’d just be silly.
“I’m from the government; I’m here to help.” *shudder* Suuuuure you are. (*mhwa* you are)
I cropped this pic out of a drive-by (literally) snapshot I took yesterday of the place where I usually buy gas. I’d bought gas the day before for a penny less.
I ought to have had my camera out for another drive-by today. Price jumped a dime since yesterday.
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Simplify, consolodate, update and rationalize my tech.
I’ve already begun his process. By having all my “reference copies” of Windows consolidated into one physical machine via virtual machines hosted in my Ubuntu Linux box, I’ve eased the clutter and made things simpler to some degree. But what else can I do?
1. Install other OSes I use/need to try out on USB flash drives as portable OSes.
2. Rationalize all my bookmarks, password files, etc. from my browsers and sync ’em up to all instances: physical machine, virtual machines and portable OSes, etc.
3. Set up a file server so that all my media, office documents, etc., are available from one central location; set up a secure VPN connection so I can access my files from offsite.
4. Make a rational schedule for my offsite backups (not satisfied with my current solution, such as it is)
5. Eliminate extra audio equipment (especially old turntable/old tape players-recorders) by converting all old LPs and audio cassetes to digital formats. (A turntable, couple of old amps, several cassette recorders, etc.)
6. Cut out DVD player, and other AV equipment via media server/HTPC setup.
7. Finish telco wiring with Cat6 and expand wired ethernet to few remaining rooms not yet wired.
8. Convet all wireless tech to 802.11n and all ethernet to gigabit.
9. Add wireless/internet surveillance cams (needed for when in basement/back room to catch deliveries, etc. Useful for other stuff too, of course)
I’ve considered more home automation beyond the couple of X-10 modules I have (and mostly do not use right now–mainly because I just have the two of them, frankly), but I’m not sure how much that would “simplify or consolodate” my life/household functions, although it would update and might rationalize some things (I ought to put those X-10 modules on the two lamps that are on timers, but... )
“These are a few of my tech to-do things… ” (Sung to “My Favorite Things”)
No more Mr. Lardass. Five years ago, by virtue simply of adding 150 caloies of purposeful food and briskly walking one mile to one-and-a-half mile per day, I lost 35 pounds. Briefly 40 pounds. Felt tons better. Slept better, had more energy, etc.
Then, I let it slack off. 20 pounds back and feel like a sack of… well, you get the idea.
So, a mile a day and 110 calories of the same “energy bar” (same food, just different formulation) as my breakfast for the foreseeable future. “But, it’s winter!” Who cares? Was summer and sweltering the last time I dragged these bones out every single day to briskly walk a measly mile. If it’s too tough (tough?!?) I can always stroll, able, loiter the mile at first. *heh*
I (or my heirs–*LOL*) will let you know how it goes.
