Party like its 1929

Posted on July 16, 2008 by ChrisA

Hundreds Demand Money From Failed California Bank

Unfortunately, I believe there will be more posts like this.

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Damn engineers…

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA

This dude must have been mighty unhappy. He’s going to be paying for this for quite a while I suspect.

A disgruntled city computer engineer has virtually commandeered San Francisco’s new multimillion-dollar computer network, altering it to deny access to top administrators even as he sits in jail on $5 million bail, authorities said Monday.

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Colorado DMV

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA

The Colorado DMV office in Longmont appears to be staffed by employees that suffer from a severe case of MDD (motivational deficit disorder). Apparently the statewide DMV management folks running the show haven’t been performing their jobs up to professional standards either. The Longmont Times Call editorializes…

A recent state auditor’s report revealed that your driver’s license information is not as secure in the state’s hands as you might think, and not just because of lax controls that allow people to acquire licenses illegally. The Motor Vehicle Division has not been performing comprehensive criminal background checks on prospective employees, and until a state audit revealed the lapse, at least 33 former employees maintained access to the division’s computers.

Additionally, the state auditor’s office revealed the following deficiencies:

Read the whole thing!

Well heck, here’s the complete editorial as I don’t believe the link will stay good. Let’s hope the Times Call copyright gods don’t come after me…

Opinion
——————————————————————————–

Times-Call Editorials

Publish Date: 7/15/2008

DMV has been lax with information

A recent state auditor’s report revealed that your driver’s license information is not as secure in the state’s hands as you might think, and not just because of lax controls that allow people to acquire licenses illegally. The Motor Vehicle Division has not been performing comprehensive criminal background checks on prospective employees, and until a state audit revealed the lapse, at least 33 former employees maintained access to the division’s computers.

Additionally, the state auditor’s office revealed the following deficiencies:

Supervisors have not always conducted required verification checks of applicants’ “identity, driving status and lawful presence.”

Controls for protecting the identities of the deceased have been inadequate. In 24 cases, auditors found that identities of the deceased had been used to obtain driver’s licenses or other types of identification.

The division has lacked the ability to track employee activities in the Drivers License Information System, making it difficult “for the Department to identify anomalous practices, such as examiners issuing licenses and IDs after business hours.”

Data transmissions have not been protected. The auditor found “that the Department (of Revenue) transmits personally identifiable information in approximately 100 large data batches in clear text, without encryption.”

The division already is addressing some of the problems, such as cutting off access to former employees and working on an encryption system. Still, that the personal information of so many Coloradans has been exposed is chilling. Solutions that can be enacted now should be. That includes appropriate background checks on prospective employees and following proper procedure for verifying identities.

It will take more than a periodic external audit to see that the personal information of Coloradans is protected. It will take vigilance on the part of those entrusted to operate our Motor Vehicle Division.

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Drive 55

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA

The call for 55 mph speed limit is increasing in volume.

Even with gas prices cresting above $4 a gallon, large SUVs, pickup trucks and even Toyota Priuses barrel down freeways here in suburban Detroit at more than 75 miles per hour — well beyond the 55 mph that was the national speed limit during the ’70s and ’80s.

If the U.S. Energy Department’s calculations are right, all these lead foots could save the equivalent of 29 cents to 94 cents a gallon if they slowed down just to 60 mph — and reduce the fuel they burn by about 7% to 23%. But most of my neighbors and I still choose to hit the gas rather than add 10 or 15 minutes to our commute times.

I don’t understand the “save the equivalent of …” statement. I’m assuming it’s related to getting better gas mileage, thus consuming less gas over the same distance? Moving on…

The politicians feel a need to act, and Republican John Warner from Virginia is keeping the ball rolling…

But now, a few politicians are daring to raise the “C” word — conservation — in public. Among them is Sen. John Warner (R., Va.), who last week sent an open letter asking the Energy secretary and the Government Accountability Office to study whether it’s time to drop the speed limits on the nation’s roads — again. He’s expecting an answer in time to raise the issue in the Senate before Congress breaks for the election in September.

So what’s next?

Nonetheless, Americans are changing and making new choices, even in the absence of clarion calls from Washington. Gasoline consumption during the Fourth of July weekend dropped 3.3% from a year earlier. Americans are driving less, driving smarter and, to the dismay of auto makers, driving smaller.

Washington now faces an uncomfortable choice: Stand back and let $4-a-gallon gasoline push Americans slowly and painfully toward a different lifestyle, or get off the bench and push.

So why do we need Washington to do something? Goodness gracious, the reason people don’t think for themselves is they are used to letting government think for them. This is a great time to stop that and let people think for themselves.

Do I speed? Sometimes. I also drive the speed limit many times and also put the car in neutral and coast when it’s feasible as well. I don’t get any “jollies” slowing people down in back of me that are in a hurry. Typically I’ll speed up to the customary 5 mph over the speed limit but not more than that. I also will try NOT to let my ego get become involved and pull over at a convenient time to let the impatient drivers through. I don’t feel morally superior by driving slow and saving gas.

One final remark, if they (the politicians, etc) are going to reinstate the 55 mph speed limit, they damn well better allow offshore drilling. Kudo’s to President Bush in trying to lead the way.

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Oil sliding $10/barrel in early trading

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA

Chart form Live Charts in the UK.
This might be good news for the economy. Extreme volatility today.

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Oil sliding $10/barrel in early trading

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA
This might be good news for the economy.

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Google/Blogger too easily manipulated

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA
Anti-Obama Bloggers Question Why Google Froze Their Accounts

Taking 5 days to clear this up is totally unacceptable. I already have a WordPress blog on another subject. Eventually I’ll change this blog over to WordPress as well. Of course, this blog is orders of magnitude away from even making the google radar screen.!

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DC Government shenanigans

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA

Instapundit comments on Washington DC’s compliance with the Heller supreme court decision.

“If you want to keep a handgun in your home, the MPD will have to perform ballistic testing on it before it can be legally registered. . . . Firearms in the home must be stored unloaded and disassembled, and secured with either a trigger lock, gun safe, or similar device. The new law will allow an exception for a firearm while it is being used against an intruder in the home.” So you can assemble it and load it after the burglar breaks in, without breaking the law. How helpful! This seems flatly inconsistent with the Court’s opinion in Heller.

I’m sorry, you just can’t make this stuff up. It’s like a beligerant child who refuses to take his medicine. Grow up.

Of course, why does Boulder need 100’s of megabytes of land use regulations? To take away our property rights, just like DC took away their citizens gun rights.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, gun rights, property rights | Leave a comment

Fannie and Freddie…

Posted on July 15, 2008 by ChrisA

To big to fail? Megan McCardle describes a really big hangover regarding the government bailout of these Government Sponsored Entities (GSE’s).

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The other side of the Oil story

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

From the ICE (Intercontinental Exchange) comes to the defense of speculators. I strongly recommend reading the expert opinions. Here’s one opinion…

“That additional oversight of commodity markets wasn’t the answer to record oil prices.”
“Oil producers that haven’t invested enough in expanding production, combined with widespread subsidies that shield consumers in countries such as China and India from the full cost of their fuel were the key drivers of soaring crude futures”

“We’ve looked at it and have concluded unfortunately that this is not a matter where there needs to be more regulation of markets.”

“Therefore I don’t think that there’s going to be a lot of use in increasing or changing margin requirements.”

– US Energy Secy: No Need For More Oil Mkt Regulation – Samual Bodman (U.S. Energy Secretary), Dow Jones (06/07/08)

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Kiss the Democratic party goodbye

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

Robert Redford makes the overly simplistic statement…

IF BARACK Obama doesn’t win November’s presidential election in the United States, “you can kiss the Democratic Party goodbye”, the actor and director Robert Redford told an audience in Dublin last night.

Seems a bit melodramatic to me, good ol’ Robert is busy sounding like other Hollywood types that were going to leave the country if George Bush were elected.

The Democrats control both the house and the senate, although not by a veto proof majority; though may well have a veto proof majority after November, regardless of the outcome of the Presidential race.

One of the main problems with Obama is he’s a novice. The Boulder Daily Camera won’t endorse candidates for County Commissioner based experience reasons, so if there’s value for experience in that post, certainly he doesn’t have enough experience to be President.

Of course, it’s all about change, hopes and dreams.

Oh and no doubt, the Camera will endorse Obama, not to mention the Democratic party isn’t going away, regardless of the Presidential election results or what Robert Redford has to say.

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Garmin-Chipoltle anti-doping policy

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

Read it here.

Every rider is tested every 14 days. That’s over 600 annual reminders to the world that Slipstream stands behind its mission of clean sport.

The Agency for Cycling Ethics (ACE) independently administers the program. ACE tests Slipstream riders 20 times more often than is required by the Union Cycliste International (UCI), pro cycling’s governing body. True to its dedication to total transparency, Slipstream provides access to the riders testing results to approved 3rd parties.

Others should follow in their footsteps starting immediately.

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Tour de France doping

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

My sentiments are echoed by Pat McQuaid

“When are these idiots going to learn that it’s over?” said Pat McQuaid, the leader of the International Cycling Union. “They continue to think that they can beat the system. They’re wrong. The system is catching up all the time.”

Not particularly good news for Lance Armstrong either…

Heads certainly turned Friday with the news of the Tour’s first doping test, which now means four ex-Armstrong teammates have tested positive in the past four years.

In addition to Beltran, Floyd Landis, Roberto Heras of Spain and Tyler Hamilton — all former Postal riders during Armstrong’s seven Tour wins from 1999-2005 — failed doping tests after quitting the Texan’s team.

McQuaid concludes…

“Once more, the sport suffers,” McQuaid told the AP. “Idiots like that are prepared to take the risk, and it’s a huge risk.”

Kudos to the Garmin-Chipoltle team for their strong anti-doping stance.

In addition to the testing required of any pro rider, Garmin-Chipotle uses the California-based Agency for Cycling Ethics to test riders for so-called “biomarkers” – physiological changes that raise a red flag about a rider’s potential use of performance-enhancing drugs. The agency also is being used by another high-profile squad with an anti-doping message, Team Columbia.

The question one must ask is if cycling has an abnormally large number of participants that are cheaters or do other sports have the same percentage problem. The Olympics might be interesting in that regard.

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Tony Snow

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tony Snow

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA


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Find more, use less (oil that is)

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

Lamar Alexander makes some excellent points regarding the need to find more oil, use less and the Republicans plans make it happen.

“Find more” means we would increase U.S. oil production by one-third through offshore exploration and Western states’ oil shale. This will over time produce at least 3 million barrels a day. “Use less” means we would reduce imported oil by one-third by making it easier for millions of Americans to drive plug-in electric cars and trucks. This will over time reduce Americans’ use of oil by 4 million barrels a day. Just those three provisions – deep sea exploration, Western shale, and plug-in cars – will allow us to cut our oil imports in half.

Unfortunately, most Democrats still insist on trying to repeal half the law of supply and demand.

Instead of Economics 101, we might call this new theory “Obamanomics.”

When we say “offshore exploration,” they say “No, we can’t.” When we say “oil shale development,” they say “No, we can’t.” When we say “more nuclear power for clean electricity to power plug-in cars and trucks,” they say “No, we can’t.”

They would rather our country beg Saudi Arabia and other countries for more oil when we already have larger reserves than the Saudis offshore and in shale in Western states.

Republicans will do BOTH – find more and use less – and we intend to work hard and in good faith to find a way for Democrats to say “yes we can,” too.

Bold and italics are mine.

Alexanders common sense approach is exactly what the nation needs. What are the Republican’s calling this legislation?

The Gas Price Reduction Act of 2008


Perhaps our friendly airline exec’s who want the government to help them with oil prices by reigning in speculation, should give Lamar Alexander a call. At the very least this should be their “plan B”. In my opinion, it should be their “plan A”.

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Gold is reflecting tension in financial markets

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

As shown in this monthly chart, which reflects prices through the end of today.


(click to enlarge)

Chart courtesy of Kitco.com.

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Global Warming

Posted on July 12, 2008 by ChrisA

The Arctic, getting warmer:

“The Arctic ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot,” according to a report to the Commerce Department yesterday from US Consul Ifft, at Bergen, Norway. Reports from fishermen, seal hunters and explorers, he declared, all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of temperatures in the Arctic zone.
“Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been met with as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes. Soundings to a depth of 3,100 meters showed the gulf stream still very warm. Great masses of ice have been replaced by moraines of earth and stones, the report continued, while at many points well-known glaciers have entirely disappeared. Very few seals and no white fish are found in the eastern Arctic, while vast shoals of herring and smelts, which have never before ventured so far north, are being encountered in the old seal fishing grounds.”

This morning’s New York Times? No, the U.S. Weather Bureau, 1922.

Proudly stolen from Powerline.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, global warming | Leave a comment

Obama and education

Posted on July 11, 2008 by ChrisA

Barack Obama chose Jeanne Century as one his educational advisors. John Dewey has an open letter to Barack in Ed News.

It starts out…

I am very distressed to learn about your selection of Jeanne Century as one of your education advisors. She is director of the science program of University of Chicago’s Center for Elementary Mathematics and Science Education (CEMSE), an organization which has been heavily involved with a horrificly lacking mathematics program called Everyday Mathematics—in fact, one of the co-directors of CEMSE was one of the developers of the program.

My oldest child got the full brunt of the Everyday math movement. What a total waste of time, money and resources. Here’s Ms. Century’s instructions on how to handle Everyday math holdouts…

“You may have teachers in your school who are not at all interested in exploring ways to change their practice. If you have such resisters, it is important to do everything you can to persuade them to participate.

Listen to their concerns, give them the professional development and materials necessary, and provide them with encouragement. There will always be people who are simply shut down to change. But the change can happen without them. Don’t focus too much of your energy on these individuals, for you don’t want to neglect those who are ready and willing. The reluctant ones will eventually need to come on board but at the beginning it is more important to make sure support is available for those who want it. Still, if you think resistant teachers are going to actively undermine your progress, you may wish to consider exploring ways to remove them from your school. You may find that the teacher is just as happy to leave the school as you may be to see him/her go.”

John Dewey a mathematics major goes on to say…

I have a degree in mathematics –that’s mathematics, not math education—and I take the subject seriously, as well as how it is taught. I have chosen to go into teaching because I see that math education is in a crisis and I would like to do my part to help open doors for students instead of the current practice of slamming them shut forever.That said, I’m afraid that I would qualify as one of the “resisters” mentioned in the above cited paragraph, if the type of teaching being advocated is inquiry based (student centered) and/or the curricula are any of several of those developed under grants from NSF. My daughter had Everyday Math in her elementary school and I worked with her at night to ensure she learned and mastered what was not being taught in her classes. I can assure you that the poor quality of Everyday Math had nothing to do with the quality of her teachers, and everything to do with the curriculum.

Read the whole letter.

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Stop oil speculation now

Posted on July 11, 2008 by ChrisA

The airline execs are screaming “no mas”. Below is the letter they are sending out to their customers. Visit their new website, StopOilSpeculationNow.

The airline execs appear to be blind to the very simple message the markets are sending…

1. Conserve
2. Develop alternative energy sources
3. Find more oil

First of all I’m against their suggestion of stopping speculation, although there is some evidence that the commodity markets may not be working as well as planned. Secondly, what’s their backup plan if this doesn’t work? Inquiring minds would like to know.

I’m not wasting my time visiting their website, if you go let me know what their alternative plans are.

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