Audit in Progress

From Obsidian Wings: “…we are living within the Reagan “no new taxes” paradigm — sort...

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:43:52 -0500

“…we are living within the Reagan “no new taxes” paradigm — sort of. People aren’t necessarily opposed to higher taxes on rich people, it’s just that the GOP has been enormously successful at convincing everyone in America that they share the same financial interests with the super-rich. It’s genius. The GOP enacts, say, a dollar of tax cuts. Of that dollar, 95 cents may go to one person, and the remaining nickel is chopped into 100 million little parts. Yet, everyone thinks they got a “tax cut.””

I find it incredibly frustrating that so many people don’t seem to understand this. I like this explanation; maybe more people will understand.

Reebok and Hasbro team up to create a line of Monopoly-themed...

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:28:33 -0500

Reebok and Hasbro team up to create a line of Monopoly-themed shoes. From the linked post:

“Says Christian Stegmaier, Reebok’s Head of Lifestyle Product Marketing, “The Monopoly collection by Reebok is designed with consumers in mind who are not afraid to be individuals and stand out from the crowd.” Translation: They’re ugly.”

So, IT just upgraded my laptop to Office ‘07; nothing is getting done today, either.

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:36:31 -0500

So, IT just upgraded my laptop to Office ‘07; nothing is getting done today, either.

??

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:54:24 -0500

One of my managers ends every typed question with two question marks. It really annoys me because it makes every question she asks seem urgent, as if she feels she is more important than everything else that is going on and is annoyed that I did not provide a response before she asked the question. Perhaps I am reading too much into simple punctuation. What do you think??

My blog is worth $0.00.How much is your blog worth? I can probably retire on that!

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:59:45 -0500

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

I can probably retire on that!

Customer Service

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:10:52 -0500

Right now, I am loving Proctor & Gamble. I just received in the mail a coupon from them to get a free PUR faucet mount water filter to replace the one I currently have. I called them last week to report the one I have is leaking, and what did they say? “That’s very unusual, and we are sorry to hear that. We will send you a coupon to obtain a replacement of your choice right away.” That’s some good customer service!

For comparison, we also recently bought a new cordless phone at Target. It was a GE with the “DECT 6.0” technology. It was a piece of crap that would just beep at you when you tried to turn it on. Half the time, incoming calls would not even ring, the answering machine would just pick up. I called their customer service line (run by a company called Thompson) and just got a pre-recorded set of prompts that gave me instructions for some generic reset procedure. If I wanted to talk to a living person, I had to call another number (that was not toll-free, by the way). When I did call this number, the person on the other end just gave me the same reset procedure from the recording (saying it was “similar” to what I had already tried…no, it was the same fucking thing I described, was he not listening? Of course he wasn’t listening, he called me “mam”! Note: I am male and my voice is not ambiguous). He then offered an address to which I could send the faulty product of the reset did not work. How are we to use the phone if I have to mail it to them for service? Needless to say, it was returned to Target and replaced by a different brand.

Income Gap and Marginal Tax Rate 1917-2006 at Visualizing...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:12:35 -0500

Income Gap and Marginal Tax Rate 1917-2006 at Visualizing Economics

This is amazing; I knew there was a gap, but I never realized the true extent of it. …and John McCain wants to cut taxes for the 0.01% making nearling $30 million even further.

The next 4 days.

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:58:24 -0500

yourdp:

Entertaining drunk people at the Pitch Music Showcase tonight then talking car down in Sedalia for the remainder of the weekend.

Tumblr meetup anyone? Yeah, no? Figures.

Let me think on that…hmm, I think I’ll pass. I got my fill of the 4-H exhibits and cow barns during my childhood.

gregbrown: Blik came out with some Nintendo wall decals. They’re...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:45:51 -0500

gregbrown:

Blik came out with some Nintendo wall decals. They’re about what you’d imagine.

Say, you were talking about re-doing the bedroom?

"There were other casualties—and don’t call them “collateral damage” or “road kill” because they were..."

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:13:57 -0500

“There were other casualties—and don’t call them “collateral damage” or “road kill” because they were deliberately victimized. The first are the Obama faithful who are made to appear as if they just sleeve-dried the Kool-Aid off their lips.”

- On Faith: Georgetown Blog

If in three months, McCain does somehow get elected President of the United States, he’s going to have a major problem on his hands. The close to half of Americans who did support Barack Obama and believed in his message will be angry, unhappy, and unlikely to support McCain. He will have low approval ratings. He will have difficulty getting things accomplished with what will more than likely be a Democratic congress. He will be more or less the sitting duck that Bush is at this point. He probably won’t be re-elected.

For myself, I’ve got enough anger directed at McCain to last me at least four years. It’s not merely the bratty way he’s come off in the last few weeks, but also (and above all) his commitment to policies that have already failed and that he previously had the good judgment to denounce. McCain has sold out to the Republican party just to get elected, an unforgivable mistake as far as I’m concerned. A year ago, I said that if McCain did get the nom for Republicans, I’d be more or less happy with whomever got the presidency. Not so now.

The celebrity ads being churned out by the McCain campaign aren’t merely a hit on Obama. They’re a hit on supporters who are portrayed as starry-eyed, brain-washed, giddy fans, with all the hysteria of a herd of teenage girls at a Jonas Brothers concert. It’s offensive and demeaning.

Also, I hate all the references to “the kool-aid.”

(via robot-heart)

Agreed. …including the idea that once upon a time, McCain was the lesser of the Republican evils. To me, his selling out and the need to fit a particular mold to be a viable Republican candidate are better examples of groupthink and “kool-aid drinking” than supporting Obama because you want to see our country change for the better.

Helpless

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 17:02:28 -0500

I am waiting for a client to call from a cell phone. I don’t have their number, so I cannot make it happen on my terms. The wait is frustrating.

"fuck documentation."

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:56:55 -0500

“fuck documentation.”

- workgrrs

I will echo that. It usually sucks, and it sucks writing it, which I think explains why it usually sucks.

(via topherchris)

My job is something like 80% documentation. Audit documentation is similar to programming documentation in how you are explaining what you are doing and why. However, we have standards (read: industry-imposed regulations) that require we document to the extent that another auditor could reperform our work exactly as we did. So, I concur that this shit sucks.

Here’s a taste of the embarrassing side of the Midwest for you: On a recent drive home from...

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:51:53 -0500

Here’s a taste of the embarrassing side of the Midwest for you:

On a recent drive home from work, I was behind a diesel truck who was particularly proud of his Cummins engine. Printed on his rear window was:

“I’d rather be Cummin than Strokin”

Obama Tries to Show Missouri Concern for Small-Town Issues

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:58:17 -0500

Obama Tries to Show Missouri Concern for Small-Town Issues:

robot-heart:

I love how Obama is shaking things up.

I don’t think Missouri Dems could get much happier than they would be to see Obama win Greene County (Springfield), the Blunt Family stronghold. That could turn over a new political leaf for this state.

Rant: opinion polls

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:33:25 -0500

sarahbeara:

Why does anyone believe polls? Why are they still being done? There is a huge group that will never be included in these numbers because THEY DON’T HAVE LAND-LINES. And who is most likely to not have a land-line? Younger people and those with low-income (who can’t afford any phone or who, when given the choice between the two, likely choose a mobile phone because, well, it’s mobile), voting blocks that are likely to support Dem. values. In addition, the polling methods are never fully disclosed in any article or news report.

I’m so tired of seeing: Most Americans support off-shore drilling, Most Americans oppose gay marriage, Obama only has a 3-point lead over McCain. Then some Bush or McCain stands at a podium and quotes this shit as support for their policies and people say, “Yup, yup, that must be true. It’s a poll so it’s clear that we should all continue to tear up the earth and hate the gays and vote for that old man who can’t decide what he’s doing and can’t remember what he’s done.” And all the people who thought they could make a difference are discouraged by these false numbers and we end up in the worst of circumstances (see: George W. Bush).

How reporters have failed to cover the oil market

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 20:37:35 -0500

How reporters have failed to cover the oil market:

gregbrown:

Includes a Very Interesting Explanation of unprecedented oil company profits. Hint: it’s not because of record-high prices.

robot-heart: Obsidian Wings: McCain And Obama On Taxes: Take...

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 06:40:56 -0500

robot-heart:

Obsidian Wings: McCain And Obama On Taxes: Take 2

This graph shows the difference between what people put into taxes now and what they would put in under the tax plans under either candidate. If the number is above the line, it means you will keep more of your money. If the number is below the line, it means you will spend more of your money.

(I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but Obsidian Wings is by far one of my favorite political blogs, simply because of the research that clearly goes into their posts. Far more than snark and sarcasm that is frequently expected of political blogs, it has real substance.)

Ditto about Obsidian Wings. I really like their focus on economics, which in politics can be such a “he said, she said” area where people take McCain’s claims that his tax plan is better for low-income families at face value. So few people in our nation truly seem to understand the subject.

via www.boardgamenews.com Say, I figured out how we can help you...

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:31:11 -0500

via www.boardgamenews.com

Say, I figured out how we can help you sleep…we must play more games!

willdo: A five-star infographic from the Detroit Free...

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:52:52 -0500

willdo:

A five-star infographic from the Detroit Free Press.

Will they treat accidental plumber’s crack the same way, or is it just this cultural style?

zetahydrae: Pictured above is a circular bike: The bike is...

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 14:22:20 -0500

zetahydrae:

Pictured above is a circular bike:

The bike is modular and can be dismantled and reassembled. It is normally left in public places where it can attract a variety of riders.

Sounds like hours of mindless fun, maybe even more so than a drum circle. Not only is it ingenious, it’s environmentally-friendly as well, being built out of salvaged bicycles. Visit the project page for more pictures and specs.

Also check out his other projects; looks like he’s done some fun things.