We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Heading back up to Killington tomorrow (where it was a balmy -4 degrees F this morning) for my last few days of skiing this season. I need a few more days on those bumps on Superstar. Carpe diem.
Who counts "vacation days"? I have equity in our company, we're making money - and anyway, I'm skiing with my boss and we plan to meet some gals at the pubs. America is a great country!
Speaking of time away from work , this guy is our employee and he can't be fired:
...the president might consider rearranging his work schedule. Last year came the news that Mr. Obama was unaware of the problems plaguing his health-care website until after its rollout and that he never once had a private meeting with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius between July 2010 and November 2013. How does something like that happen?
An answer of sorts comes in an article by Sean Blanda on "How Barack Obama Gets Things Done" on the 99U website. The president, Mr. Blanda reports, wakes up at seven o'clock. He works out 45 minutes a day every day, not including his regular basketball games. He watches a lot of "SportsCenter." Dinner each night with his family. To limit "decision fatigue," he likes to set policy via memos where he can check the box on "agree," "disagree," or "let's discuss."
Life insurance benefits can be tax-free. Inheritances over $5.3 million are taxed — with rates going up to 40 percent. That's why the life insurers lobby like crazy to save the estate tax.
Guessing Games And Climate ‘Science’ - They seem so certain when predicting what long-term weather has in store for us, but don't be fooled. Read the fine print in their pronouncements and the truth is revealed: those much-quoted experts admit they don't have a clue
The European Union’s characterization of the Crimean vote to join Russia as “undemocratic” is laced with stunning hypocrisy given that the EU ignored its own citizens when they rejected the European Constitution on numerous occasions.
In an autobiographical essay published 20 years ago, the left-leaning economist Kenneth Arrow recalled entering the Army as a statistician and weather specialist during World War II. “Some of my colleagues had the responsibility of preparing long-range weather forecasts, i.e., for the following month,” Arrow wrote. “The statisticians among us subjected these forecasts to verification and found they differed in no way from chance.”
Alarmed, Arrow and his colleagues tried to bring this important discovery to the attention of the commanding officer. At last the word came down from a high-ranking aide.
“The Commanding General is well aware that the forecasts are no good,” the aide said haughtily. “However, he needs them for planning purposes.”
Red-baiting was one of the more fantastic inventions of the left. Suddenly pointing out that someone was a member of a mass murdering ideology bent on world conquest… was worse than actually being a member of that ideology.
Red-baiting was tacky, hateful and everything that enlightened people didn’t want to be. It was perfectly all-right for a Communist to say he was one. It was alright for an admiring fellow traveler to say it. But not for anyone who thought that mass enslavement and murder under the red flag were bad things.
Red-baiting gave the Marxists and Communists immunity from criticism. Questioning their politics had become worse than their actual politics.
What a mystery it all is, with the info and theories changing hourly, and everybody jumping on the latest to keep the website hits coming.
We'll do the same. Whoever turns out to have guessed it right (ie what happened, and where the airplane is, with coordinates) wins a Maggie's Farm t-shirt (if we have any left).
I think so. I got an article which crossed my desk this morning:
King Digital Entertainment (makers of the Candy Crush Saga mobile game) is planning to launch an IPO valuing $7.56 billion, which is worth more than 15 percent of S&P 500 companies. Each of King's 22.2 million shares would be priced between $21 and $24, and is expected to debut the trading on March 26. Fox Business reports King would command a market value worth more than other major tech companies like AOL, Lions Gate Entertainment and even 2.8 times more than struggling J.C. Penny. Last month, King revealed that its fourth quarter revenue hit $602 million, and $159 million in profits.
It's cheap at the price - roughly a one to one price to (annualized) earnings ratio. However, this is a gaming company, and gaming companies are notorious for their price fluctuations. Very few companies which make standard XBox or Playstation games have remained at reasonable price levels, the competition is fierce and consumer tastes are fickle. Less standard gaming companies, such as Zynga (based almost entirely on Facebook registrations) have suffered mightily after going public.
King Digital has been very profitable, but I've had experience with firms like this. Typically, when they are privately held, they are fast, nimble, and aggressive. When they cash out, they become bloated, lazy and unresponsive. Can they break the mold? Since it's my view the market is artificially overpriced, my guess is this is a stock that will jump quickly and far early in its trading life, and then slip back down as reality hits home.
I can't blame the stakeholders for wanting to cash out, and perhaps this is the best time for them to take what they can get.
On the other hand, maybe investing in really useful stuff like this might be a better option.
The point Obama makes here is valid, but begs a larger question, because it impacts his argument in support of a higher minimum wage.
The caller on this program made $36,000 per year, more than double minimum wage (and likely due to multiple household earners). However, if minimum wage is so low, can people on minimum wage who have cable and a cell phone (and many do) make the same choices? Minimum wage is providing enough for certain 'luxuries' which, in the grand scheme of things, are really just trade-offs for what we consider important in our lives. Obama's response indicates even the most leftish of liberals recognize this.
The discussion on minimum wage is much larger, of course. Most people earning it are not Head of Household, and most live in larger family groups with several earners. Regarding the president's response, however, we exposed to insight on the man's psyche. He realizes that managing your life is a series of choices, some better and some worse. But he's unwilling to allow people to make most of those choices on their own. It must be on his terms. His healthcare, his minimum wage, his regulations must all be in place before you or anyone else is allowed to make the necessary choices needed to run your life.
Me? I'd rather have health care than a cell and cable when my finances are strained. But you may not. Right now, Obama's argument to raise minimum wage is that you shouldn't have to make this choice. But we all make choices, Mr. President. It's how an economy works.
For me, a climate change agnostic, the mocking of climate change is no better than the strident protests that the sky is falling. Charles Krauthammer, hardly a liberal voice, says, "I'm not a global warming believer. I'm not a global warming denier. I've long believed that it cannot be good for humanity to be spewing tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." The last statement is critical because it implies that driving your kids to school in a Hummer is potentially hurting all of us.
The earth is an ecosystem, not an organism. Volcanic eruptions and asteroid collisions have serious consequences on the planet, on species (extinctions, for example), on climate and who knows what else. If the carbon density is a factor leading towards an environmental disaster, and it is a big if, what suffer you to reduce your carbon footprint? Or would you rather be the thirty-five year old who doesn't buy health insurance because "statistically I am at low risk for serious illness." You do the math.
Also, and this is dicey, no one factors the amount of carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere every minute by 7 billion plus people not to mention the bovine methane from the cows contributing to your McDonald's diet. I'm just sayin' . . .
How the Other California Lives - Some of the most productive farm land in the world is going fallow thanks to a man-made water shortage. A long-time grower explains.
Michael Milken: How Housing Policy Hurts the Middle Class - Many buyers decided that the largest-possible house was a better idea than a retirement fund or a child's education.
ABC,
CBS Exclude Scientists Critical of Global Warming for More Than 1,300
Days - See more at:
http://cnsnews.com/mrctv-blog/sean-long/cold-shoulder-abc-cbs-exclude-scientists-critical-global-warming-more-1300-days#sthash.rPBauqoG.dpuf
Heading back up to Killington tomorrow (where it was a balmy -4 degrees F this morning) for my last few days of skiing this season. I need a few more days on those bumps on Superstar. Carpe diem.
Hunting the Lynx with the Old Believers
1. Where the heck is that airplane?
‘Is this a joke?’ Salon writer asks:
What a mystery it all is, with the info and theories changing hourly, and everybody jumping on the latest to keep the website hits coming. 
